Sky Campbell
by JordeeyPordeey
Summary: After trashing her foster moms apartment and a clash with mythological monsters only she can see, 14 year old Sky Campbell is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where she finally learns the truth about her unique abilities: she is a demigod, half human, half immortal. There's no time to process this. All too soon, a prophecy from the Oracle sends Sky on a quest that she may not return from.
1. Chapter 1 - Sky

SKY

**I hate school.**

I mean I know every _normal _kid hates school but I have a particularly passionate loathing for it. And I'm not a _normal _kid. I don't know what it is that makes me abnormal but I just know I am.

My day had been okay compared to most but still an exhausting start to the week, McKenzie Cartwright had thought it funny to flush my homework down the toilet at break so I had spent most of dinner starving in Mr Alderman's sawdust covered wood work classroom being pelted with rubbers by Geordin Mathews when sir had his back turned. I was no snitch so I had no choice but to ignore it as best I could. After we got out Geordin forced me to give her my dinner money so I had to raid the fridge the moment I got to Anna's.

Right now I was in my bedroom in my foster mom's apartment hiding from her freaky boyfriend – Chris. In my opinion he was too boring for Anna, already grey-haired and a little wrinkled, really tall and never takes of this black blazer – even with jeans, super bizarre. That guy wierds me out though, mostly because he's always asking me questions about my life, my dad is a subject he particularly likes to focus on. It's like he's trying to catch me out by asking me the questions really fast and I just don't know what to say most of the time. But when it comes to my biological father he always has the same answer: I grew up with a bloke I thought was my dad until I was four when my mum revealed I wasn't actually his child, he left and I was kicked out of the family before I could ask any questions.

Just a little (well _a lot _but hey my life pretty damn complicated) background information. My name is Sky Campbell and I'm 14 even though I'm sure I was born long, long before that but we'll get back to that later.

I think I was born in England but I can't be positive, all of my life before about the age of five is really murky and hard to remember; it's like it's from a different life, like a different era. As far as I know, my family fled to America in 1948 because of the aftermath of the war but I know for sure I lived in another country, England, until I was at least three. When I was four my mother disowned me because I killed my brother, Alec, and destroyed her marriage, although technically the second one wasn't my fault – she cheated on her husband and I was just the product of the whole sordid affair but I still felt guilty.

That probably makes me sound evil, maybe I am, but I don't dwell on Alec because that was probably the worst thing I'll ever do. I hope it is anyway. So four years old, she didn't exactly kick me out and I didn't exactly run away it was a bit of both really.

I know you're probably judging my mom right now for ditching her toddler daughter because of an "accident", and really I shouldn't blame you but even after everything I love her. Not just because she was my mom but because she was the best mom, well … when you look at the big picture. I can't really explain why but I still miss her. I don't know if she's dead or not because I never tried to look for her, its better she if thinks I don't exist.

I got by on my own for a while but by the time I turned nine, I was about to be sent to my third foster home. I could never get settled; I always seemed to get blamed for things that weren't my fault or accidents (like exploding electrical appliances) that just _happened_ near me. Kids swore that I terrified them even when I didn't speak so I got tossed around a bit. However, my third foster home was where my life took a pleasant change of direction. I met the best friend I thought I would ever had, Leo Valdez.

He was probably the best person I'd ever met, he was two years and a bit (maybe half, or two thirds) older than me and he taught me stuff, like how to repair stuff (like the previously mentioned electrical appliances) and how to laugh, to be near him was all it took to make me smile. He loved building things and I thought he was genius; nothing was unfixable in his eyes, not even me.

Diagnosed with ADHD like me (in addition I had Dyslexia and CD – yay!) he was never scared of me and weird stuff happened around him too. He said I gave him a reason to stick around for a while. The happiest time in my life lasted for just under a year and a half then the care home had had enough. A rich couple named the Cooper's fostered me and Leo was shipped off to a boarding school somewhere, only I didn't realise that until I came back from my three days with my "perfect" family.

My behaviour took a slight detour.

Off a cliff.

Without a bungee cord.

They refused to send me to the same school so I got thrown into a few more care homes until I met Anna who fostered me two months ago. She met Chris two weeks ago. She was a nice, but lonely, middle-aged women with a firm hand when it was needed (apparently a very important factor with a "troubled child" like me), she didn't spoil me and I never went without but I didn't want a new mom I just wanted to be somewhere I belonged and felt at home and I didn't feel like that in her top floor apartment in Queens.

I hate school mainly because I'm always the new kid and never have any friends. I met a boy at my new school called Ivan Forrester a few days ago though. He probably only spoke to me because he was lower down on the social heap than I was, he was an odd boy, he was 14 too but looked older with scraggly hair that was normally hidden by a hat, he was wiry and sickly looking and mad on the environment, he just went on and on about pollution and trees and flowers and trees and pollution and trees. So it went without saying he was considered 100% nerd. ( I guess I was kind of a nerd too, I really liked history mainly the Greeks with a bit of Romans and Aztecs too, it just fascinated me that the world was _that _old and could be _that _messed up). But on top of everything he was disabled too, he had crutches and a rare leg deformity he was born with or something. I didn't see any abnormalities but then again, you could say the same about me.

He was supposed to be coming for tea. Anna's idea, she was really worried I was unhappy and as soon as I mentioned Ivan over our dinner on Wednesday she practically begged me to ask a boy over - weird woman. I was a little disappointed he said yes, well not disappointed more … worried; he seemed a little _too _excited about it. Anna wasn't back from work yet, but she would be soon.

The doorbell went and I ran to go get it before Chris. I was too late, man that guy could move! the door was already open and Ivan stood looking horrified, Chris was standing between us with a triumphant smile; like he'd been stuck in a tedious position for ever and he'd finally caught his big break. Ivan started to shake, panic stricken trying to devise an impossible plan. A bit of an overreaction in my opinion.

Chris could barely control himself. "I knew it!" he rasped in a voice that was so unlike his own it sent shivers down my spine. "You imbecile mortals can try, stupid satyrs and your camp, but you can't hide from us forever. We will always find you!"

I was about to ask what on planet earth he was talking about (satyr? I knew Ivan looked weird but saying he was half goat was bordering verbal abuse right?), then the impossible happened, Chris started to change, like actually _change._ The victorious gleam in his eyes continued to shine even as his eyes glowed like hot coals. His blazer morphed into huge leathery wings, and his face started to form the cruel sneer of an aged woman. His (her?) fingers started to extend to enormous talons and a set of sharp yellow fangs replaced the once perfect … _human _teeth. He wasn't human he wasn't even a he. He was an_ it_ and _it _was horrible and terrifying.

I recognised what I saw, but I couldn't be right. "Fury," was the only word that escaped my mouth.

I had no idea what was going on, and I wasn't about to stick around and find out, it was a habit I picked up years ago, when it came to my life I've kind of learnt if you don't know the answer right away don't ask questions, you won't get answers and you probably wouldn't want them if you did anyway.

Before I could comprehend my eyes deception and administer my '_don't ask questions'_ rule Chris lunged at me. I instinctively dove to the side but felt the movement of the air by my exposed cheek being slashed. There was a huge crash as the monster slammed into Anna's china cabinet. The Chris-bat snarled something that sounded like _"why are they always this hard to kill?" _before extracting itself from the rubble and turning to me again.

"Ivan run!" was all I managed to shout before I had to use the couch as a shield and the Chris's clawed embedded themselves into the stuffing. When I looked again Ivan wasn't running he had gotten a cell phone out! I knew the police were for emergencies and all but something told me they'd be worse than no help in this situation. I didn't know who he called but after Ivan had hung up he then decided now was the time for music and started playing a tune on some reed pipes as if expecting something to happen. I was so dumbfounded by his calm and uselessness I nearly forgot to dodge Chris's next swipe.

I dove for an antique bronze sword above Anna's mantelpiece and unsheathed it (nearly dropping it when I saw how clean and polished it was, I thought it was centuries old, that's what Anna had told me). The Chris-bat flew at me and I drove the sword into his chest and – it snapped. I had never seen it out of the case but Anna had warned me how sharp it was. Surely it should have killed anyone. It _should _have killed anyone. Anyone, not anything.

The blade had slowed him down enough for me to back myself into a corner but before I realised I was trapped Chris dislodged the three foot blade as easily as if it was a splinter. Roaring with laughter he closed in backing me into a wall. Those evil glowing eyes were going to be the last thing I'd ever see.

A hunting horn sounded above me. The roof came in, I blacked out.

**A/N**

**I know Sky isn't looking like the strongest female character ever at the moment but whichever way I introduced her I just wasn't happy with it. I know her background information gives a lot away and isn't very strong but there are a few more things to her that are yet to be revealed. I needed to make her from England because I'm English and Percy Jackson is set in America and I can't write convincingly as an American. I have tried so I can write from other peoples point of view but I think I'm at my best writing as Sky.**

**I know I have another fan fiction from the host still unfinished on here but I have writers block on that at the moment and I'm really wrapped up in my Percy Jackson what with the new film and the knew book coming out soon its hard to concentrate. I do have a twilight Fanfic in the vault but its nowhere near started properly and I just want to mention it has nothing to do with a new relationship with Edward or Jacob because I've read some like that and I'm sorry but that's just changing the entire plot of the saga but I'm not a twihard so it doesn't bother me as much as some of the Harry Potter stuff does. I do have an idea for a Harry Potter but I haven't made anything of it yet.**

**Anyway I hope you like my new story! XD**


	2. Chapter 2 - Sky

SKY

**Death certainly wasn't as peaceful as I hoped it would be.** It consisted of a lot of movement and flashes of light and noise. Shouting, cursing and shrill screams.

Then, silence.

I felt like I was being carried in strong sure arms. Steady as a rock, the arms laid me down onto a comfy bed and something started to burn. I felt the smoke settle around my face, it smelt like heaven, funny I never thought I'd get sent there, I thought I was in for the Fields of Punishment, surely it wasn't this nice there. I felt my eyes being opened then closed again.

I was being checked up. Not dead, in hospital_. Great._ What about Chris? Was he dead then? Since when did hospitals smell nice? Since when did doctors have warm hands? So many questions, my head hurt and I let out an involuntary groan and tried to prop myself up and open my eyes.

"Now, now stay down you need to heal for a bit longer sweetie," a girls voice said. I properly opened my eyes as she started to search through a bag so I tried to take in my surroundings.

Well_, tried_ being the operative verb. It all glowed with a silvery light so it took a while for my eyes to adjust but when they did it seemed I wasn't in a hospital, I was in a very large … tent? It looked like a tent, those marquee-type tents they use for weddings. Silver banners and drapes hung over the walls as well as an assortment of hunting trophies. Animal heads mounted on mahogany plaques stared down at me. There was a roaring fire in the grate warming the whole place up, it felt lovely just lying there on my comfy bed with the blazing heat of the fireplace. The girl turned back to me holding a flask of what looked like apple juice but thicker, like golden syrup.

"Okay hon, drink this," she said kindly.

"Um," I don't know about you but I was always taught not to take food from strangers but this girl seemed so nice, about my age maybe younger. I was just going to say I wasn't thirsty instead I said "Who are you?"

"Oh, silly me," She laughed light heartedly, "I should introduce myself I'm Phoebe, huntress to Lady Artemis. Now drink up, this is Nectar it will make you feel better,"

Huntress to Lady Artemis? That was a grand title.

It was extremely hard not to trust this girl, like the room she had kind of silvery glow and her hair was braided back to reveal a proud face. Everything about her radiated prowess, confidence and content so I took the drink and downed it in one. It tasted amazing, nothing like apple juice, like the freshly baked apple tart and custard that my mom used to make when I was small. It filled me with happy memories so I felt like I could take on three Chris's right then and there. Okay, maybe not Chris but I felt good.

Oh god, _Chris._

"What was that thing?" I blurted out before thinking, "Where was it from? Where is it now? Will it-?"

Phoebe raised her hand and silenced me. "It was a Fury, one of Lord Hades' minions, it will be in Tartarus now but it won't stay there so we should get you to safety, I'll go to consult Artemis and your satyr … friend."

There it was again satyr? I hoped these people weren't picking on Ivan, or maybe it was some kind of strange slang - I should really talk to people more to keep up with these things.

She left before I could say anything else. I swung my legs of the bed to find it wasn't a high up as I thought it would be so my feet hit the floor very painfully. I winced and straightened up in my seat slowly as two girls entered the tent. The one in the lead wore a light parka that contrasted with her vivid auburn hair. She looked so much younger than the other girl yet the way she seemed to orientate herself around her somehow I didn't doubt the red-head was the boss. On her right was the other girl, definitely older with spiky black hair and piercing electric blue eyes. Unlike Phoebe she wore a silver tiara so I assumed she had a special title, like a second in command or a lieutenant or something, or maybe it was just a really confident fashion statement. They both took seats in front of me, next to the hearth. The younger girl smiled.

"Sky Campbell," she greeted me like a long lost friend, which I wasn't sure how to interpret, "We have much to discuss but first let me introduce myself; I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. And this is my lieutenant Thalia." The smaller girl introduced them both, she _was_ their boss. It took a few seconds for me to process it. Artemis, like the Greek goddess Artemis but she didn't exist, those were just myths and legends right? It was just a nickname or … something.

Something told me I was seriously wrong.

"Um, okay." I replied my voice unusually high. It's not like I had nothing to say, I had _too much _to say. I just couldn't seem to form the right question that would fit it all in. Thalia laughed, that was annoying. I hated being laughed at, it wasn't my fault I had no idea what in hells name was going on. I must have shown this because Thalia laughed again before interjecting.

"I know exactly how you feel, that's all." I doubted that _highly._

I turned back to "Artemis" "So, like the real goddess or come-to-my-fortune-telling-hut-so-I-can-scam-you goddess?"

"The real one," I assured me with a slight grimace.

"Okay … So what are you doing in Queens?" I asked then realising I was talking to a "goddess" or whatever so I added. "Miss,"

"Well, you were certainly quick to believe I must say, Mr Forrester said you didn't know about your ancestry yet." Artemis mused like she had had this discussion a hundred times before and this one had taken a lovely change of direction.

"I've kind of learnt not to ask questions," I shrugged, these days I didn't know what I believed or not, I just took each day as it came. At the moment I was in a tent recovering from a mythical creature attack with a 13 year old who _says _she's a Greek Goddess.

"Smart," Thalia commented.

"Well, the reason my hunters and I are here is because of you," Artemis unhelpfully answered my question.

I frowned in confusion "Me? Why, me?"

"I've been asking that for years," Thalia muttered sarcastically, but it seemed half-hearted like an old joke that didn't really apply anymore but she couldn't kick the habit.

"We would like you to join our ranks, assuming you'd like that." Artemis continued as if there was no interruption.

"No but why me specifically? And um, miss, if you don't mind me asking, what ranks?" I didn't know why she'd taken an interest in me, it was probably some rich cult or club or maybe the real thing but still why me? … Furthermore I didn't know why I was as tongue tied as I was but something about this girl, the way she spoke like a women, the way she seemed to radiate power, it was hard to not respect her.

"I should explain more but that really was something Mr Forrester wanted to do himself, you are a demigod – half human, half god - but if you join us you could be so much more, if you join the Hunt, my Hunt, you would be invited to travel the world with us to fight monsters, no responsibility a new life of complete immortality, unless you fall in combat that is."

She said it as if that cleared it all up. Never mind the fact she'd just told me I wasn't fully human. Demigod? What was that supposed to mean? Yet, I thought I had an alright idea what it meant. It meant my mother hadn't been lying on that last night, it meant she had had an affair with a – oh god (no pun intended), what utter rubbish. I was no demigod, they're heroes. Hercules, Jason, Perseus, Theseus I was nothing like them I had no special powers, I wasn't strong, I wasn't clever I couldn't even excel in any human activities. But the hunt …

It sure did _sound _good, if my head wasn't still throbbing from the cave-in I'd think I was dreaming all this up and even I knew that couldn't happen – my imagination wasn't _this_ craz- I mean - elaborate. It did sound good though, almost too good, I wasn't liking to sound of immortality, I think one normal lifetime is just enough for me to handle. It was so absurd I skipped over the demigod comment.

"What's the catch?" I asked, I'd decided it _did_ sound too good there must be one.

"No catch, you just swear to maidenhood for all time and you can start your new life," Thalia answered and I'm sure that I detected a little sarcasm in her voice. Just a little, but it was there.

"Just girls … forever?" I couldn't help but colour my tone with my distaste; at every school or foster home my bullies had been girls. I decided a long time ago that they were the worst kind of bully because they could hurt you so much more, with their words alone most of the time. The name Keeley Woolridge surfaced in my mind and a bubble of anger exploding in my veins. She had driven me out of my first care home because her dad cared enough to send her presents (but not enough to visit her, I may add) and I had nothing and no one. I had gotten angry, her new TV had blown up, I got blamed because I was there and she had a big nasty scar on her pretty little face. Yes, I definitely got on better with boys; girls were just too … complex.

"I guess that's a _no,_" Thalia said.

"Not nessarcarily," I snapped, if there was anything I hated more than being laughed at, water and light mayonnaise (_it's not mayonnaise_) it was being spoken for. "Do I have any other options? I mean is this a join or die thing or is there another place I can go?"

"We're not going to kill you if you say no," Thalia grumbled looking offended.

"I wasn't thinking of _you_," I'm not going to make out I could take this girl because I knew I couldn't but sometimes the best defence is to _act _like you have the best offense. "I meant that thing back there,"

"Oh," she shrugged, "Well there's always Camp Half-Blood, besides we promised Ivan that we wouldn't let you make a decision until Percy and Annabeth got here, they're kind of like representatives from Camp. Then you can make – what did he call it? – 'a well-informed decision before you maiden types mess her up.' If you don't like either I suppose you could apply for the Amazons."

"Why is everyone trying to buy me?" I spoke the thought out loud and had to bite down on my lip to stop myself blurting out anymore stupid comments.

Thalia laughed again. "Because you're powerful Sky, we can just tell and worse than that the monsters can tell too. Besides it's not _everyone,_ and we're not buying you, we just want to recruit you, just us and Half-Blood Hill, we'd offer you Camp Jupiter too but if you were Roman they'd have claimed you earlier," Thalia explained as if she felt my confusion, maybe she'd started out like me too … maybe. Before I could think too much of that there was a sound of large wings outside.

"That," Artemis stood up; it was a little startled as I'd forgotten there was a goddess sitting with us. "Will be Mr Jackson and Miss Chase, I will send them in, remember our offer Sky Campbell and let me know of your decision," she smiled once more and exited the tent leaving me with Thalia.

"You sound like you've been to this, uh, Camp Half-Blood?" I asked, mainly to fill the silence.

"I used to live there, but I joined the hunters to avoid a prophecy that could destroy Olympus," she replied conversationally polishing a hunting knife I hadn't seen her get out.

There were some mumbled voices outside and then -

"Thalia!" a voice broke the quiet and a blonde teenage girl bounded up to Thalia, whose knife had disappeared and she met the girl with equal enthusiasm. After the reunion a tall, black haired guy, 16 or 17 years old maybe, came in grinning and shook hands with Thalia who replied with a "Long time, no see Jackson," _Some maiden._

The boy smelt, it made me want to hurl actually, mixed with the smell of a clean forest and burning fire was the smell of the sea. To most people that would have been nice but I had to breathe through my mouth to stop the nausea. The blonde who I assumed was Annabeth and the boy who was probably Percy composed themselves as if for a sales pitch – so about right – and sat down with Thalia. Both of the newcomers wore orange t-shirts with Camp Half Blood written on them, so they were probably counsellors. The two girls exchanged a few comments about what they'd gotten up to recently but Percy was paying more attention to me, sizing me up for battle like they did when you played sports games at school. That was a bit nerve-racking; I always got picked last. He was the first to speak.

"So, we missed Mrs Dodds then?" he asked.

"Who?" as if I knew what he was on about?

"The fury,"

"You call it Mrs Dodds?" I raised my eyebrows, interesting pet name for a bat. "I call it Chris,"

That made him laugh, why was everyone laughing at me? I couldn't be this funny all the time or I'd have friends.

"Enough about Mrs Chris Dodds, Sky have you decided on whether you would like to join the hunters?" Annabeth interjected with a business-y voice, taking (very pointedly) Percy's hand in the process. She fixed me with her sharp grey eyes so I found it very hard to look away from her.

"I'm not sure," I paused think how to phrase it right, "I'm a little tempted but, I'm not keen on the whole … _Sister Act_ thing – and I find girls find me … hard to get along with."

"There I was thinking we were doing alright." Thalia muttered with a smirk.

"Boyfriend then?" Percy commented as if coming to a conclusion he was proud of.

"As if," I snorted. I'd never had a boyfriend and didn't really plan on getting one. I turned to Thalia simply because out of the three I'd known her five minutes longer. "Do all you demigod types put words in people's mouths?"

Thalia grinned.

"Well, you can always come to Camp Half-Blood see what you think and call the hunters up if you change your mind." she suggested. Both of the campers nodded in agreement.

"Hang on a sec," They were rushing me. "Where am I anyway? What _is_ Camp Half-Blood? Where is it? What makes you think I don't want to stay with Anna?" I didn't think the last offer was sincere but it seemed they were very intent on minimalizing my options.

"If you wanna stay here you can but it makes me think you've got a death wish."

I wanted to think Percy was joking but he said it in all seriousness. Become an immortal maiden or stay at a camp for special kids. It was like a _Sophie's Choice _but less complicated and more bizarre.

She must have seen the hopelessness on my face because Annabeth tried to comfort me. Again, _tried _being the operative verb.

"It's okay, there are other half-bloods there as well as me and Percy and you'll make lots of friends. It's the only safe place for kids like us, and it could be a new home for you. It's where you train to harness your powers and then, depending on who your godly parent is, you can try and lead a normal life."

I'd gone along with it too long, time to dash their hopes of a new player ion their little game of make believe. "I don't have powers, I do have a normal life and I don't make friends, not since … well, I can't be a half-god or demi-god or any other Greek Myth related title, I study it I don't come from it. I don't know who my dad is, but he's definitely _not_ some imaginary _god_, –."

At that moment thunder rumbled across the sky and shook the tent. I looked up, just a coincidence. I hoped.

"You shouldn't say stuff like that; gods don't like being, uh, disrespected." Percy sounded like he wanted to use a stronger word but was playing it safe.

"You may not like it but you _are_ a demigod," Annabeth reasoned, her patience seemed to be waning.

"How are you so sure?" I challenged, I wasn't sure about this Annabeth.

"Well I'm guessing dyslexia, and ADHD maybe? Stuff breaks or goes wrong around you; you get blamed, family issues, etcetera?"

I scowled. "What are you psychic too?"

"It's textbook demigod," could she have looked any smugger?

"Who are all of your parents then?" I had to ask but it didn't sound as confident as before, I was genuinely interested.

"I'm a daughter of Athena, Thalia's a daughter of Zeus and Percy's the son of Poseidon."

Poseidon, the name sent chills down my body. My head spun as a flashback of the freezing Pacific Ocean waves and dark shadowy creatures clawing in the surf clouded my vision. A women's voice screeched in outrage making the pressurized sea sound hollow. I couldn't breathe; I had to clutch the bed to steady myself. I gulped.

"Oh,"

Thalia looked alarmed. "Are you okay? Your eyes, they-," I cut her off.

"Changed, I know they do that when my mood changes. I'm fine just, uh – a – a lot to take in." the last lie was lame I know, and none of them looked convinced but they didn't press me on it.

"Your eyes?" Percy tried to change the subject. I answered even though I couldn't look at him properly.

"Light blue normally, they kind of cloud over when I'm thinking or remembering and they go kind of midnight blue with white specks when I'm tired. Um, someone told me that when I'm angry they kind of light up like electric blue but I'm not sure…" I mumbled the strange explanation without meeting his eyes. It was hard to believe how powerful this guy probably was.

Knowing their parents had humbled me a bit, two children of the Big Three and well, Athena – that summed it up, she had been a historical figure I had really looked up to. _Smart_ undoubtedly didn't begin to describe Annabeth.

"I'll go to the camp," I decided after a few minutes silence. A little numbly we all stood in unison and Percy and Annabeth led me outside where a huge pure black Pegasus was waiting on a half demolished roof with several more of the hunters petting him. I probably should have been shocked, or scared or awed or something but I wasn't. It was all just setting in, I suppose. Getting on board with the whole gods thing was a little overwhelming. But –

"Where's Ivan?"

"We sent him on ahead to see the Council of Cloven Elders," Phoebe the girl who'd healed me said from the jet black horse's head. I couldn't help but feel a little deserted and disappointed. He was the reason I was in this bidding war of _Homes for Demigods _shouldn't he be here?

After a few good byes, my chaperones mounted the winged horse (that they called Blackjack) and Thalia slipped a silver business card into my khaki army jacket pocket. I hadn't realised I was still wearing it over my school uniform: a white shirt (even though it was spattered with dust and dirt now), a green striped tie, a black pleated skirt (which annoyingly was fine, even if it was dusty) and black tights (how the heck had I not managed to rip them!?).

"You change your mind, give us a call," she winked and helped her fellow hunters pack up a series of other tents into miraculously small bags. I looked through the hole in the roof into Anna's ruined apartment. Was it bad there wasn't one thing I wanted to keep from it? I was wearing my favourite jacket so there wasn't a single thing I'd run back for, except –

"I'll be right back!" I ran and jumped down into the apartment landing in a crouch on the living room floor. I dodged around the rubble but the back of the apartment had apparently been spared. Slipping into my room, I noticed how painfully bare it was, as if I'd never intended to stay in the first place, no posters, no photos, no personalization. Just four books on my desk, the simple furnishings and my few clothes; the one thing I wanted was one of the books, well it was a photo album about A5 in size. I placed it into one of my large pockets and headed back to the living room.

Huh, how was I going to get back up? The fire escape was blocked by a couple of metres wreckage and the couch wasn't bouncy enough for me to get a good enough lift up. I began to climb the debris until my hand was barely a foot from the lip of hole. I stretched; I gave a little jump and just caught the ledge.

With a lot of cursing and straining I hauled myself onto the roof and onto Blackjack behind Annabeth.


	3. Chapter 3 - Sky

SKY

**The journey was great, I had never flown before, that I could remember anyway.** I really liked it though, I felt weightless and completely safe even though I was gliding 20,000 feet in the air. The sun was setting bathing the dappled clouds in pink light and warm air. Annabeth explained to me that Ivan had been my protector and had to leave straight away because the Hunters had had to step in and he'd failed to deliver me himself. I was feeling more and more like a parcel with no addressee by the moment.

We started descending sooner than I'd expected, Long Island? Who'd of thought it? All I could think at the time though was, if this is a dream I am so writing it down when I wake up. I'd make a fortune.

We touched down smoothly and I slid down onto the grassy floor. The scene around me was completely different from the concrete apartment buildings back in Queens. It definitely looked like a summer camp though, kids aging from as young as nine to nineteen passed by some looked busy, others gave us a greeting before hurrying off with broken swords or what looked like chariot parts. Behind me was a wooden stable and there was a collection of assorted cabins bordered by a large forest, a stretch of lawn away. In the distance a blue and white farmhouse with a wraparound porch sat at the bottom of a huge hill with a giant pine tree at the crest. Annabeth and Percy were watching for my reaction.

"Nice place you've got here," I said weakly.

Percy tried to clap me on the shoulder but when I saw his hand out of the corner of my eye I flinched away. He furrowed his brow and mumbled "We'll take you to Chiron before dinner,"

They led me up to the farmhouse and started discussing an upcoming game but most of it revolved around places I hadn't heard of and nicknames of people I didn't know. So I just looked around thinking about all the myths from Greek legends I'd learnt at my many schools and libraries.

That's a little collection I keep in my photo album, bouncing from place to place, I have to join a lot of libraries so I have like 30 library cards for all over the Eastern-US.

When we reached the big house we were welcomed by an old man with a brown beard and frayed tweed jacket in a wheelchair.

"Annabeth, Percy, you're back! Was your journey enjoyable?" he opened his arms as if to hug us all, thankfully he didn't.

"Zeus didn't blast us out of the sky if that's what you mean Chiron," Percy joked.

"Ah, well, and you must be Sky the demigod Ivan informed us about," he addressed me but I was a little confused. "I am Chiron the activities director for the camp, nice to finally meet you; you gave Ivan quite the shock when he turned up at the school only a few days ago."

Little heads up, when I'm confused or sleep deprived I kind of misplace my manners, and at that moment in time I was both so they pretty much went out of the window. "The same Chiron that trained Hercules and the other hero guys?" I don't know why I asked that, he couldn't be that Chiron because _that _Chiron was a –

"The very same," he assured me looking pleased to be recognised.

"Well, um shouldn't you be, like …" how do you ask someone if they should be half horse?

"Dead?" he asked politely like he was asked if he should be dead on a daily basis.

"No, a centaur," I managed.

He gave a hearty chuckle before replying. "Why child, I _am _a centaur. I just thought perhaps you might be a little overwhelmed after today so I decided to greet like this," he gestured to his chair. "As I do for all my first interactions with new campers."

"Oh, uh, thanks?" I was probably being ruder than acceptable. But this guy seemed understanding and what else was I supposed to say?

"I will entrust your tour to Percy and Annabeth, as you seem to be very well informed on mythology I think we can skip the usual orientation video, Cabin 11 will have room for her until she's claimed. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, I will see you at dinner," He smiled again and with that steered his chair into the house.

When I was sure he was gone I turned to them both discarding my '_don't ask questions'_ rule for a few minutes.

"What did he mean 'until she's claimed'? Haven't you lot just claimed me? How long am I allowed to stay here? What's Anna going to think when she finds me gone and her home caved in?" I should have stopped my voice was getting a bit loud but I was on a roll "Also, why is everyone surprised I can remember a few stories and names? I can't spell them but that doesn't mean I'm stupid, don't you _all _know the stories? What on earth is Cabin 11 and what kind of catastrophic accident can put an _immortal Centaur_ in a wheelchair?!"

"Feel better?" Annabeth asked trying to hide a smile.

"Not at all,"

"Okay, Demigod 101," maybe this girl wasn't too bad, "When he says claimed he means when your godly parent claims you and we can move you to their cabin. You can stay all year or just be a summer camper and try your luck in the mortal world with mortal schools. Anna's memory will be manipulated by the Mist to adjust it to her capacity of understanding."

"Unfortunately, that will probably paint you into the story as an adolescent arsonist with anger issues and a troubled past turning you into a fugitive." Percy added it with such relish I almost believed the story could be true.

"This demigod thing gets better and better," I grumbled.

"And the reason we're a little surprised your so educated on Greek Mythology is because most demigods don't bother with it because of their dyslexia and the big names."

"Also, Annabeth can't spell and she's definitely _not_ stupid," Percy added.

"And not _all _of us know all the stories." She nudged Percy in the ribs,

"Hey!" he pretended to look insulted.

"Cabin 11 is Hermes Cabin, as their dad's god of travellers they look after our undetermined campers but if you're claimed soon, like you should, you'll be moved to your parents' cabin. There wasn't an accident that's just a disguise you'll see Chiron in centaur form tonight," Annabeth finished.

That just about covered all my questions.

"Like I should?"

"Most demigods come to us at 11 or younger because that's normally the age that the monsters start to bother them. You're lucky to be alive."

Not sure I agreed with the last part but I probably already sounded really narcissistic, I sighed, "Long day,"

"I know," they agreed at the same time.

Even though I was tired, the tour was pretty interesting actually, we saw the cabins first. There were tons of them and each represented an individual god or goddess. My favourite was probably Hermes because it was so ordinary looking I could almost picture it in the normal world. Annabeth told me there used to be only twelve in a U shape but a couple of years back Percy had convinced the gods to claim their kids more often and they built more and now it looked like an oblong

Ω. I counted 20 in total. We saw the Pegasus stable, sword fighting arena, chariot race track, dining pavilion and arts and crafts house.

I got some funny looks from the other campers, maybe sympathy but they all seemed friendly enough. The only part of the tour I didn't like was the Hephaestus forges because they reminded me painfully of Leo.

"So, what's foster care like?" Percy asked me as we made our way toward the bottom of the grounds.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Uh, no, I just wondered – I – um," the helpless look he gave Annabeth made me feel a little guilty for snapping, maybe he _had_ only meant it as an ice breaker – I had been told I looked a bit unnerving when I was annoyed, that's what the kids at my past school had said ("All I did was look at her! I swear miss and her eyes changed! Honest, they lit up like a storm or ... or something, she's not normal, she's evil miss!"). Percy seemed like a pretty stand-up guy and he'd done nothing but try to make this easier for me and I'd just judged him because I was scared of his dad. Not that I'd admit that to anyone, obviously.

"Sorry," I mumbled watching my feet trudge along the grass. "It pretty much sucks when you have friends, so when you're a loner who freaks people out 'cause you blow up stuff when you're mad, it's like hell." I probably sounded super whiny. "It could be worse though."

He nodded slowly looking glad I hadn't shouted "I don't really know what's that like," he admitted "I live with my mom most of the time; I'm only here because Annabeth and me were on call for you. When Ivan got the chance he'd call us up and we'd explain everything to you."

"We were hoping we wouldn't have to wait for a Kindly One to strike for him to make the call though." Annabeth said.

"Kindly one?"

"Names hold power here, so we call the Mrs Dodds'" Percy did the air quote things. "'Kindly Ones',"

I knitted my eyebrows "O-okay but I guess, it's a good job it did attack though, I'd of never believed you if I hadn't seen it myself. One thing I don't quite understand is … well, I was okay-ish. You see, I've never been attacked before today. So … If I hadn't invited Ivan for dinner … Chris wouldn't have known … I mean … instead of being here … could I be staring at Spanish homework right now?" I added the last part in a rush. I did actually have Spanish homework, Miss Lafine was gonna be _mad_.

"Sorry," and he really did sound it. "But, you would have done something to show him what you are … eventually. He'd of killed you."

"What if I'm not a – a hero though? What if you're wrong?"

"We're not wrong; Phoebe treated you with ambrosia and nectar for one. Any mortal would have burned up."

I didn't know how to respond to that so I carried on wringing my hands in silence.

"One thing I'm confused on though," Annabeth started, changing the subject.

"What?" I asked wanting to help.

"Well, Ivan said he sensed you were really powerful and stuff and you sound like you've got around a bit. So, a couple of years ago when the Satyrs were on red alert for demigods, how did they not find you?"

"Um," I was hoping they wouldn't ask this, time to fess up. "I'm a coward,"

"Meaning?" Annabeth furrowed her brows.

"I've been running from this," I gestured around me "for a long time. I suppose deep down I always knew … something was wrong with me. I don't have friends because I repel people, as well as being a freak, if anyone tried to talk to me at my schools I pulled away and I ended up being kicked out anyway. Now that I look back on it they were all probably satyrs …"

I continued to hide behind my white-blonde fringe before finally concluding "I'm going to be pathetic demigod."

Annabeth started to say something but I looked up to find we were only about 300 metres away from a huge lake. I froze. "Where're we going?"

"Uh, just to see the canoe lake," Percy said rather obviously.

I backed up a few steps and said weakly "I can see it just fine from here, thanks,"

Then I did something very un-hero-like, I turned and I ran, like my life depended on it.

I only stopped when I reached the porch of the Big House again. I leant against the railings clutching a stitch in my side as my confused tour guides clambered towards me. Breathing heavily I waited a few minutes trying to convince myself I'd put enough distance between me and the water; after I failed to do that. I returned to watching Percy and Annabeth and realised I felt ashamed watching them finally give up and fall into a walk so instead I looked at the porch to nearly jump a metre in the air.

A short, chubby sort of man with black curly hair was leaning against a roof jamb. Short and stocky, he was wearing a leopard print Hawaiian shirt and was absentmindedly twirling a grapevine on one finger. I recognised him immediately from Annabeth and Percy's descriptions earlier, he was the camp director; the wine god Dionysus.

"Hello, you must be Mr D," I bowed my head to him, straightening up a little.

"Well," he regarded me with contempt. "I don't know if I _must _be, but yes. Chiron told me I should acquaint myself with you but that you would need no help knowing who I was. I suppose he was right." That last bit sounded hard for him to admit.

Now I'm no suck up, I didn't creep to anyone, _but_ I had already been told how much this guy hated camp. And, if truth be told, I felt a little sorry for him being cooped up in the wrong environment. Almost like being trapped in the wrong era, which I could relate to. I also decided it wouldn't hurt to stay on this guy's good side. From what I'd guessed, gods liked being told how amazing they think they are.

"He was right, you need no introduction sir. I did a project on you for my History oral exam, my teacher disputed that I should have chosen another god with a less subtle power, like your father, but I always thought that subtle power was the most dangerous kind. However, I lost marks for expressing how much I'd like to have the power to turn all the teachers at the school into dolphins." Nothing I said was a lie and now that I really thought about it, Dionysus probably was one of my preferred gods right up there with Artemis, Apollo and Athena.

His face was hard to read but I thought he looked like he enjoyed my remarks. "There I was thinking there was never going to be a hero who appreciated my powers, welcome to Camp Half-Blood Sky Campbell."

"Thank you, Lord Dion" - I remembered what Percy had said about names holding power and changed it to – "Mr D."

He nodded approvingly and his gaze shifted to something behind me, I turned around to find Percy and Annabeth looking stunned, right behind me. "Why, dear, it's no wonder you ran with Peter Johnson here, as your guide." He sneered and the air seemed to swallow him, he disappeared leaving nothing but the intoxicating scent of grapes.

After a few minutes silence Annabeth finally asked. "Why'd you run?"

"Lake,"

"And?" Percy demanded.

"Water," I explained. "Water and me, don't get on."

Percy just shook his head and exhaled before saying "We've ruled you out as a child of Poseidon then."

"Why do you have an idea who my dad is?" I asked quickly.

"Not until you're claimed, but the fact we know it's your dad narrows it down. You don't seem violent enough to be a child of Ares," Annabeth answered.

"Or tired enough to be a daughter of Hypnos," Percy chimed in.

"Hades doesn't seem likely, and you don't look like a Hephaestus kid," Annabeth mused.

"Your dad could be Apollo or Hermes. Are you good at archery?"

"I've never tried," I shrugged.

"Well let's see…" Annabeth pulled me along toward the archery range.


	4. Chapter 4 - Sky

SKY

**I wasn't very good at archery.**

Percy was thinking Hermes was a possibility, I told him about the pranks I'd pulled back in the care homes. His favourite was the time I'd set off a fire extinguisher on the landing because the kids were moaning it wasn't snowing that Christmas.

Making an early start for dinner we were skirting the woods when up ahead I saw three kids leaving them. It did strike me as odd because Percy was just saying how dangerous they were and how you should never go in unarmed. There was a tall blonde boy walking hand in hand with a pretty girl with choppy brown hair. They were both being led by a dark haired boy who was jabbering on excitedly about something. The girl was the first to notice us she waved and the boys turned to look in our direction. I froze on the spot.

"Sky, that's Jason, Piper and –"

"Leo!" I couldn't help myself I had to shout it, could he seriously be _here_!?

I sprinted over to him, hoping against hope that he still recognised me. The grin that broke across his face told me he did. Stepping forward to stop me from falling he gave me huge hug.

"Holy Hephaestus, Sky what are you doing here?" I didn't really know what to say, I felt like I'd forgotten how to speak. After a few more seconds I reluctantly I pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. It was a risky move because in was afraid he'd explode and disappear the moment I let go.

He looked the same as the day I left for the Cooper's. Brown eyes, a light tan and messy dark brown hair that looked like he'd never had a haircut. He was wearing his army jacket and scruffy work jeans. One difference that was really prominent was his height though. He'd grown about a foot in the last two years making him 6 inches taller than my 5, 2.

"You're taller," was all I managed to say.

"And you're not," he teased, he always tormented me about my height.

"Shut up," I pushed him a little, but not enough to topple him. Or shock him.

"You two … know … each … other?" Percy panted I turned to find him and Annabeth huffing behind me. Maybe I'd run a little fast, oops.

"No, I'm a really friendly mind reader," I replied sarcastically, it was Leo. He was a bad influence. I had to try really hard to cause trouble away from him, but around him trouble was my middle name. "Sorry," although it was a bit daft to ask if we knew each other, did he think there was a possibility I'd turn around and say _No, I don't know him, I just guessed his name right ran up to him, hugged him and telepathically told him my name._

"How?" Annabeth must have been fitter because she recovered first.

"We met when we were twelve, well I was twelve you were nine, in a care home, and stuck together for a bit – kept her out of trouble." Leo explained. Patting my head. Pfft, got me _into _trouble more like. "So," he turned to me, "Where've you been?"

That got me a little angry. "Where've I been?!" I repeated. "_Where've I been? _Where've _you_ been? I get back to Chipley and they tell you've opted for a military boarding school. You said you'd rather smash your TV beyond repair than go to a boarding school!"

"_Opted_, like they gave me a choice." Leo snorted "Wait, what do you mean get back to Chipley, what about the Cooper's?"

My anger deflated immediately, and Leo, reading my face started one of our telepathic conversations. It wasn't _really _telepathic but when you know someone as well as we knew each other you can kind of gets what there thinking. It probably went something like this:

_Oh gods, what happened?_

I don't really want to talk about it here.

Okay

His eyes twitched towards Percy _You okay with him?_

I nodded _Scared a little but …_

The fair expression on Leo's face told me he was probably saying something like. _He's actually a really nice guy, maybe you'll be okay._

The exchange only took a few seconds but that still caught people's attention. Leo didn't notice.

"So," Leo looked at Percy, "You taking her to see my baby?"

Automatically I knew Leo was talking about a machine, that's just a weird pet name he'd always used for them. _Boys._

"Yeah, you wanna come with?" Percy said finally getting over his short sprint.

"Sorry, you can't, engine problems, heats too intense on board, should be cooled off by tomorrow though … maybe the day after … can't be positive. I need to talk to Chiron about taking her for a spin too, lack of use is bad for a machine and with no quests going on … well, we'll have to go on a really big grocery run to Olympus or something."

"So -," I started but was interrupted by the sound of a conch horn echoing across the valley.

"Sorry, dinnertime, come on the food's really good here!" Leo grabbed my shoulders and steered me ahead of the group.

On the way to the dining pavilion Leo filled me in on what he'd been up to since the 'Wilderness school' (the last boarding school he went to), apparently he'd been on two life-threatening quests and saved the world from the evil earth goddess Gaia, by building a "huge mother war ship" called the _Argo II _and conquering a bunch of giants_. _It sounded soooo much like Leo I had to laugh, and he told me all about how Percy, Annabeth, Piper (the brown haired girl I'd seen leaving the woods with him) and Jason (the boy who'd been holding her hand who I tried not to focus on too much) had come along and helped in addition to two roman demigods called Frank and Hazel.

What he told me about the others awed and scared me a little. I'd been a hundred per cent right about Percy – he was super powerful and apparently he wasn't the only one.

"- so, then Jason dove over the edge after Piper and flew them both back to us using the super cool wind power thing he does-" Leo was telling me how he, Piper and Jason had escaped his boarding school but _that_ got me.

"Hold on a sec," I looked at Jason even though it hurt a little. "You can _fly_?"

He nodded a little sheepishly "Sorta,"

"Oh yeah, Jason's the son of Jupiter, that's the –"

"Roman equivalent of Zeus," I gulped "Yeah I know, um, anymore big three children I should know about? Any kids of Hades lurking around?"

"Uh, yeah, our friend Nico is son of Hades but he doesn't live here all the time," Annabeth answered with a little laugh.

"You sure do know your mythology," Percy noted thoughtfully.

"Can you guess who _my_ mum is?" Piper challenged me all of a sudden, she obviously didn't like the way I was looking at her boyfriend. Gross. Jason looked too much like Alec it would just be … wrong. It was weird just how much he did look like him. Same blue eyes, same blond hair, same shaped face, their smiles were even near identical. It was actually a little creepy.

I bit my lip. "Are you Roman or Greek?" best narrow it down.

"Greek," okay so, she couldn't be Hera's or Artemis' they were maidens and she didn't look like Annabeth. Hectate and Demeter didn't seem likely – this girl didn't scream magic or flowers to me. Hebe, goddess of youth didn't strike me as the children having type either. Her eyes changed colours so Iris, goddess of the rainbow? That would be my second guess.

"You're very pretty," I muttered fairly, "Aphrodite?"

"Uh, um, yeah uh, thanks." She stammered taken off guard by my compliment I returned my gaze to dining pavilion that was right in front of us.

"Don't mention it." I mumbled.

"I'll introduce you to the Stolls," Annabeth placed her hands on my shoulders and steered me to a line of kids with elfish features led by two boys who looked as much alike as Jason and my brother did.

"Conner! Travis!" she called. "Meet your new camper!" she gave me a little nudge forward to join the end of the line. "I have to go lead the Athena cabin, the Hermes lot are nice enough, just watch your pockets," she winked and headed toward a queue of kids that all had blonde hair and grey eyes just like her. It was a bit unnerving to meet any of their eyes.

I tagged onto the back of the line and followed in silence as all the campers sat down. It seemed each cabin had their own table to sit at during dinner, no cliques I was liking this camp more and more. Leo was leading a group of strong looking kids with oily clothes – the children of Hephaestus. He caught my eye and winked at me as he sat down; I laughed and attracted some raised eyebrows and funny looks from the kids at my table.

"So, who're you then?" one of the brothers asked from across the table, time for my first impression.

"Depends who's asking," I replied coolly.

The campers snickered including the boy who asked, "Travis Stoll," he answered.

"Sky Campbell," I held out my hand to shake his but as he got close I pulled it back to tuck my hair behind my ear. A feint Leo taught me when we first met, I saw him laugh as he watched from his table. My table joined in a little more boisterously – maybe that was a Hermes thing.

There was a loud clopping sound from the head table and I looked over and caught my breath. There, wearing an orange camp T-shirt instead of his tweed jacket was Chiron and he most certainly wasn't in a wheelchair anymore. From the waist down he was a white stallion with a swishing tail and shiny hooves. He grinned at my expression and I felt the heat creep up my face.

"Mr D, unfortunately, couldn't be with us tonight, so the announcements will take place at the campfire!" He raised his goblet. "To the gods!"

Everyone on the pavilion mimicked him. Travis' brother (full not step like the rest of the people in Hermes) Conner introduced everyone else in the cabin. They taught me how to use the magic goblets (just tell it what you want and it'll fill up, though alcohol was forbidden). I was going to start eating but then everyone started to get up to scrape food into the brazier in the middle of the pavilion. An offering to the gods, I followed them but when it was my turn I didn't know what to say so I copied the girl who went before me, "Hermes," I murmured as I scraped some of my barbeque meal into the flames. _For your hospitality _I added in my head.

They all seemed like really funny people; they said that there were actually some more campers as well as the hundred that were here now. Apparently more were due by the end of next week when their winter term ended. Everything seemed to be going great until a boy named Timmy asked me this:

"So are you a regular or undetermined camper?"

"What do you mean?" I asked confused. All of the siblings turned to look at me.

"Is your dad Hermes?" Timmy clarified; well I think that's what he was aiming for I still didn't quite understand what he was asking.

"I don't know, they told me I need to be claimed by my godly parent or something but I don't really know what they mean …" I trailed off feeling embarrassed and had the strong urge to hit Timmy even if he was ten. They were all looking at me with sympathy, ugh I felt pathetic.

"S'okay Sky, you'll probably find out in a couple of days, maybe even at the bonfire tonight the gods are better at claiming their kids these days," Conner reassured me.

Chiron called attention again by stamping his hoof and told us that the campfire was about to begin.

The camp fire was held in the amphitheatre; Travis explained to me that the children of Apollo always led the sing along because they were the best musicians. He said the fire was magic and reflected the mood of the crowd and the louder we sung and the happier the mood of the campers the higher and brighter the flames burned. Once at the campfire it wasn't strictly necessary that you sit with your cabin and Leo took full advantage of that because the moment he saw me he walked straight from his cabin, grabbed my hand and pulled me away giving Travis the dirtiest look I'd ever seen cross his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, Travis seemed perfectly nice and Leo was acting all weird about it.

"Nothing's wrong, I just want you to sit with me and my friends," he said smiling his usual smile, he readjusted his hand in mine so it was more comfortable and continued to tow me along.

"I can't believe you're a demigod Sky," he said to me as we weaved through the crowd toward Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth and a satyr I didn't know.

"Ditto," I agreed. "I can believe you're one though, I always knew you were weird,"

"_I'm _the weird one? That's rich coming from the girl who can't even turn on a lamp without blowing fuses!"

We had reached the group now, if I hadn't been ADHD I wouldn't have noticed Piper and Annabeth taking in mine and Leo's hands or the exchange of meaningful smirks. I slipped my hand out of Leo's and protested to his last comment a bit too late. "Yeah, well, I've been practicing and I can now so -." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Can what?" Percy looked up from stuffing his face with s'mores.

"Not blow-stuff-up." I explained.

They all laughed, "Hey," Percy exclaimed, "Your eyes changed again!"

"Oh," I shrugged. They'd be darker now I was a little tired. "Did you think I was lying?"

"No, he didn't," Annabeth jumped into the conversation and pulled me into a seat between her and Leo and in front of Jason and Piper. "But, I have been wondering about that."

"You wonder a lot you know." I said.

She didn't look offended. "Yeah well, back in the Hunters' tents you said your eyes cloud over when you're thinking or remembering so why don't they do that all the time? Isn't that basically what the brain does?"

I tried very hard not to smile and keep my voice as level as possible. "Are you implying that I don't think all of the time, daughter of Athena?"

Annabeth paused and Percy seemed to be holding his breath and I noticed that the amphitheatre had fallen silent, the children of Apollo were waiting for us to finish before starting the singing, even Chiron was listening in but I made no obvious move to show I'd noticed and continued to look Annabeth straight in the eye. "No," she finally replied is a small voice.

"Well then," I turned my attention to the front and broke a small smile. "You'd be wrong because I _don't _think all of the time."

Everyone laughed for about ten minutes and spent five minutes after that catching their breath, (at least it seemed that long to me) while Annabeth and I blushed bright red. "I like this one," I heard her whisper to Percy in between her own giggles.

This, I thought, must be the only place in the known universe where other people find me both scary and funny. When they were done Chiron called attention and announced:

"Hello campers, I just wanted to remind you that capture the flag has been moved to next Saturday rather than this Sunday as the Creek naiads have informed me that they still need time to recover from Hermes' cabin's most recent prank." There was a lot of snickering among the crowd and Chiron even looked like he was trying to restrain a chuckle. "Cabin Six and Cabin Three currently hold the laurels," Percy gave Jason a smirk as the Athena campers to our left erupted in cheering. "The Chariot Races go ahead as usual on Wednesday and as I am sure you have noticed we have a new camper today, I'm sure you'll all make her feel welcome, Sky Campbell,"

There was some polite applause, and then Chiron gave the Apollo cabin the go ahead and the sing along started. We sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around, and the funny thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me. I felt that I was home. Something I'd looked for, for a long time.

The fact my old friend was back at my side certainly helped with the transition, Leo and I continued to catch up between songs and the debate about my dad continued but the only input Leo really made was that he really didn't want my dad to be Hephaestus. Go figure.

All in all I had a really good night, until the end that was.

Another conch horn sounded and a few people – including me – started to rise, the rest were staring at a point above my head. What was wrong? They looked worried. I looked up to find a glowing golden eagle hologram hovering above my head but it dissipated before I could really understand what I was seeing.

"What – what was that?" I stuttered to Leo who had a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Zeus," Chiron knelt onto his front legs into a bow, others followed his lead. "Lord of the Sky, the Cloud-Gatherer, King of the Gods. Hail Sky Campbell princess of Olympus."

I felt the colour drain from face.

**A/N**

**Soo Cheesy I know, but I never write anything with that kind of fluff in it and I wanted to try. its okay I guess I don't know whether Leo and Sky will get together for the now they're just friends and I thinksthat's good. **


	5. Chapter 5 - Jason

JASON

**Another sister, I was starting to feel a little outnumbered.**

Seeing Sky being claimed was a bit like when Piper was claimed, after the eagle appeared this gold mist kind of descended on her and dissipated around her neckline. All of the grime from her face disappeared and her hair looked clean and pure white in the blaze from the fire, something changed in her face too; she looked powerful, strong, regal even.

I felt something being slipped into my pocket: a phone. I turned to find Annabeth right behind me. "She might want to call her foster mom," she whispered so quietly I wasn't sure she'd said it. I turned back to Sky.

Chiron called her a Princess of Olympus. Did that make me a Prince of Olympus? I hoped not. The confused look she gave Leo reminded me of the one Piper gave me after she received the blessing of Aphrodite.

Sky started to laugh. Like _really_ laugh. Hysterically.

"Ye-yeah … right!" she had to use Leo for support she was laughing so hard. A few people looked at each other with raised eyebrows and others looked like they wanted to join in with her. Most of the campers got to their feet. "Sure…." Sky eventually caught her breath. "Yeah, _Zeus _is _my _dad! That's _soooo _true!"

"Ah, Sky?" Chiron spoke up everyone turned to him.

"Yes?" I felt a little sorry for her the expression on her face made it clear she thought this was a joke.

"It _is_ true. Zeus just claimed you as his daughter."

"But … I …" her smile seemed to collapse.

I leant down and gave piper a kiss on the cheek "see you in the morning," I walked over to Sky and put my arm around her – thankfully she didn't fight it off "Come on, Sky we need to talk,"

I steered her all the way from amphitheatre, making sure we were out of sight before letting my arm drop. We were only a short walk away from the cabins before either of us said anything. She looked like she was holding back tears.

"I knew it couldn't last." Sky said.

"What couldn't last?"

"Being just one of the other campers, being normal rather than being an outsider,"

"Hold up. You're at a _Demigod summer camp_, where we learn to _fight monsters_ and go on _dangerous quests_ for the _Olympian gods. _You think if you're in the Hermes Cabin that makes you normal?"

Sky let out a giggle but it died quickly. "But, I can't fly, I'm not strong or clever and I don't excel at anything. The only thing I can do is electrocute things and that's accidental, most of the time. It's not a gift it's a curse, people get hurt."

"I'm sure that's not true," I assured her, trying to hurry her along, the other cabins were catching up from the campfire, "and electrocuting things can be used as a good weapon."

"Yeah, a good murder weapon," she uttered darkly.

Before I could as what she meant I stumped my foot on a marble step, we'd reached Cabin One's entrance.

"Ow, well, welcome to your new home, um, just a heads up it's a little …" but before I could explain how un-homely Cabin One was, she opened the door.

"Whoa,"

"I know about the statue, I know it's … it's …" I stepped in after her to find my entire cabin had changed. "Gone?"

Instead of the huge ten metre high likeness of my dad dominating the centre of the room with no bathroom, permanent beds or central heating system there was, well, a liveable environment. White, marble columns were embedded into the walls on either side; in the back wall was an alcove the size of a snooker table and sitting inside was a shrunken version of the old statue with a burning brazier at its feet. It was fairly obvious the message it was conveying: _I've made your home nicer, now, what do you say?_

Nicer,

didn't really cover it though. Like before there were still more alcoves down the sides with eagle statues and lit torches lighting the room as well as making it less draughty. It still thundered slightly, but it didn't sound quite at hollow and the domed mosaic ceiling twinkled with clouds covering and uncovering stars, like the night sky outside. There were three single beds with simple white bed sheets against the back wall too, all I knew was there was no way I'd have the middle one, right under Zeus' statue, I wouldn't get a wink of sleep. There was a drawing desk, like the normal kind but tilted so it's easier to work at, next to the bathroom door (yes there actually was one now, so I didn't have to use the communal ones all the way across camp); in the centre of the room stood a metre tall working solar system that's sun was the size of a basketball and glowed with fiery golden light. This was a little odd because Percy had told me that Apollo had once told him that the "solar system" was just an explanation the Mortals had come up with so they could understand the sun. It must have just been a novelty or a really elaborate night light or something. There were a number of weather instruments on a table on the right of the front door and a bursting oak bookcase on the left of it.

"Ah, which one is yours?" Sky asked me.

"Um, it's changed since this morning but I guess the one of the right with the photos on the side table." I said. My photos had been moved so dad must have assumed that would be the one I'd choose. She just nodded and went to sit on the far left bed. Maybe she'd thought the same as I had about the middle one. Or maybe she didn't want to be near me.

She watched me quizzically like she couldn't believe I was actually there. "What do you mean it's changed? Does it change a lot?"

I went to the brazier and deposited a few of the marshmallows in my pocket left from the campfire. "Thanks for the referb, dad." I muttered as the misty smell of mixed hot foods washed over me. "No, there used to just be a statue in the middle with a temp bed I used, he must have changed it so you'd be more comfortable."

"Why would he do it for me and not for you?"

"I think he thought I was okay about it until this morning when I burnt my offering asking for him to make it a bit homier." I shrugged. "Or maybe he felt bad for you being on your own so long. You met Leo in foster care?"

Sky nodded and pulled her jacket off. "Yeah, I – I got kicked out when I was four though. He could have done something to make the subway a bit homier."

_"Four?" _

She nodded again, like she hadn't admitted that to anyone in a while. She looked under her pillow and found a pair of cream silk pyjamas with the initials SC embroidered on the pocket. I checked mine and I had a pair identical with JG stitched into them instead. When I turned back I found she'd already gone into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Man, I'd seen that girl run to Leo, she was pretty darn fast.

But, _four years old? Poor Sky._ What kind of person leaves their child alone at _four years _old? I mean, I knew my mom left me to the mercy of Juno when I was two but it wasn't like leaving me to fend for myself I was actually _given _to someone. Thinking about it made me frown all the way through the process of changing into my new pyjamas. Not my style but they were real comfy.

I was just taking Annabeth's cell phone out of my jeans before I folded them up when Sky eventually came out of the bathroom, she chanced a glance at me and I saw her eyes looked red like she'd been crying. I felt really bad for her; I remembered how it felt to be stuffed in Cabin One on your first night, being told what a huge honour it was but still feeling out of place, like you don't belong. She sat down cross legged on her bed and began looking through a hand sized photo album until she stopped on one page and looked intently at the photo then looked up at me then back at the photo. I couldn't see it from here but I did see the tears trickling onto the plastic covering and her hastily rubbing the off with her sleeve.

I threw my jeans onto the bed and crossed the room to sit next to her; she didn't object, she just continued to look at the photo. It showed Sky at about three or four sitting on a beach towel surrounded by an empire of sand castles she was sitting next to a smiling boy of about thirteen, the photo looked old, monotone, in black and white. That wasn't the oddest thing about the photograph; it took a second for me to comprehend what I was seeing. I had been sure Thalia was my only full sister, the photo I was looking at had to be impossible, I'd never met Sky before in my life but the boy in this picture was like my semi-identical twin.

"Whoa … who's … that guy … he looks just like …" I stammered, she made no effort to hide the photo from me, her fingers were shaking the album so much it was near impossible to see it anyway.

"You. I know," she said in barely more than a whisper, her voice was thick like she had a bad head cold. "That's, that's my brother Alec he, um, he died the same day this was taken."

"Is that why your mom kicked you out? She was grieving?"

"You could say that."

"How – how did he, - you know." Then I realised I'd only just met this girl, step sister or not we didn't know each other. "Never mind, I'm overstepping."

"No, no. I - I got pulled out to sea and he- he jumped in after me and … he didn't make it. We never found his body." Ironically, explaining it seemed to sober her up, she wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeves, cleaned the plastic protector the same way and leant around me to place it on her bedside table.

"Leo told me it never makes anything better, people apologizing for family loss, but I'm sorry." It was the only thing I could think of saying and she gave me a watery smile.

"He's a lot wiser than he lets on, you know." Smiling, even after she'd been crying, changed her entire face. She looked less pained and tough when she smiled, like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. Instead she looked sweeter, kinder, warmer like a really stereotypical little sister, blonde and innocent with a dazzling smile that lit up her face and made all the people around her happier.

I wondered if this was why Leo had developed his jokey personality, like he'd made it his business to keep this hurt, desolate girl happy. It sounded like something Leo would do, even if he wouldn't admit it.

When I'd first met Thalia, I still hadn't had my full memory and I'd envied her so much because she seemed to have her whole life sorted out and she'd seemed so _together_. I'd thought my attempt at working my life out had been laughable compared to what she'd gone through to find herself a family, but looking at Sky sitting helpless on her new bed, fresh from who-knows-how-many foster homes I realised how extremely lucky I was to have such a consistent regime.

"Why do you call yourself the son of Jupiter not Zeus?" she suddenly asked me obviously wanting to change the subject.

"Because I'm Roman whereas your Greek so he's Zeus to you." I explained it as simply as I could because it was a little late to get into the whole Roman/Greek god divide.

She knitted her brows. "If you're Roman … why are you at a Greek Demigod Camp?"

"Good question, Piper's head Counsellor for Cabin Ten. I couldn't leave her and its nice here, I like it."

"Is it better than Camp Jupiter?"

"I didn't say that." I corrected myself. "Neither one is better than the other and I do visit – wait how did you know about Camp Jupiter?"

"Oh," she blushed. "Well, Artemis' lieutenant was explaining stuff to me and she said I'd be offered Camp Jupiter too but if I was Roman they would have claimed me already."

"Thalia's right. Lupa would have found you."

She tilted her head in confusion then her expression melted and she looked like she understood something she wasn't sure how she felt about. "Oh, yeah, Annabeth said she was a daughter of Zeus too. She's our-your sister, have you met her?"

"Yeah, same mom and she is your sister too. Was she offering you a place with the Hunters?"

She nodded silently and stared at the wall. Her vision clouded, like literally, what looked like miniature clouds drifted across her now polka dot midnight blue irises leaving pure white eyeballs with just small black pupils in the centre. It was actually a little scary.

"If you like, you can call your foster mom; Annabeth thought you might want to." I held out the cell phone.

"I'll do it tomorrow," her vision cleared. I nodded again. "It's been a long day." It wasn't until then, I noticed her accent. It was only faint but there was a under layer like she spent a gap year in Europe.

"Where are you from Sky?"

"What do you mean?" she turned to look at me.

"You've kind of got an accent, whereabouts are you from?"

"Somewhere in England, I think," she frowned and her vision went cloudy again like she was focusing really hard on something.

"You think?"

"I … I don't really remember."

I knew that feeling, so I didn't grill her for any more information. "You should get some sleep," I left the phone on top of her photo album, hefted myself up and fell into my bed.

"Lights out," I muttered and flaming torches extinguished themselves the only light left was the basketball sized sun; it _was_ just an elaborate night light.

"Goodnight, Jason." I realised with a shock that was the first time she'd ever said my name to me, it felt a little odd.

"Night, Sky," but she was already asleep, and between the now cosy cabin and comforting light from the orbiting solar system I soon fell asleep too.

**A/N**

**I don't know how its possible for Jason and Alec to look the same but I wanted Sky to feel a family connection somewhere and she needs to trust someone there too I mean apart from Leo. hope you enjoyed it :)**


	6. Chapter 6 - Jason

JASON

**I dreamt I was running with Piper down the beach at camp.**

She was laughing, showing all of her perfect teeth, I laughed with her and I reached the surf first but when I turned to look at her she wasn't there. Instead the boy from Sky's photograph, Alec Campbell, stood gazing out to sea.

The wind picked up, it whipped at my clothes, and I found it a little hard to stay in the same spot even in my dream. Alec, however, stood still as if the wind didn't exist at all, he seemed to shimmer with strange blue light but apart from that he looked identical to the photograph I'd seen. He still wore the same cotton shorts and matching t-shirt, his smile had gone though, and that only made him look more like me. I was just about to call out to him when I saw a strange and slightly scary scene behind him, further down the beach.

A huge peacock with stunning multi-coloured plumage spread in a fan behind it was stalking up and down the dunes, pecking here and there. It was looking for something, all I knew was I didn't envy the creature when it was found. A magnificent eagle swooped down on it then rose to the sky again and dove back down, not aggressively, just like it was trying to attract the other bird's attention, like it was trying to reason with it. The peacock continued with its resilient search.

Alec's voice was all that stopped me from running over to intervene.

"Jason Grace," he said. His accent was stronger than Sky's; he had lived in England for the majority of his life. "Your father does his best, but he will not be able to restrain her for long,"

"Alec? What do you mean? Restrain who?" I called out to him, I was almost shouting, but his voice remained level and distant.

"Your patron, she is infuriated. She thinks he has broken his oath once again; she can tolerate you because, for all intents and purposes, you are hers. However, Sky is in danger,"

"My patron? You mean Hera, but what would she want with Sky?"

"The oath Jason, it is not only Hera who wishes for Sky's demise, the other Olympians are angry that their king is not setting an example, they will start to question his priorities."

"But the oath was scrapped wasn't it?" Percy had explained it to me; he had convinced the gods to stop it because it never worked.

"Even if it was not disbanded, Sky is not a violation, look after her, treat her well and let her make her own decisions, if she wishes to be alone grant her that wish, she deserves to choose solitude after so many years of it being forced on her. She will tell you her story eventually,"

"What story?" I yelled his voice seemed to be fading; he began to walk to the sea.

"Be patient, she will tell you in her own time. When she does, tell her it wasn't her fault, tell her I do not regret my actions, but not just yet, you must wait for her to tell you." he was half submerged in water. "First, you must clear your father's name," The waves were up to his chest now "Protect our sister Jason; do not waste my sacrifice."

He submerged and I knew, like Sky must've all those years ago, he was gone forever.

I sat bolt upright in bed cold sweat running down my face, sunlight streamed through windows I hadn't noticed last night. They were long and thin, running across the very top of the walls so no one could look in or out of them and the way they were positioned you could only see the clear sky. I looked over at Sky's bed, she was still sleeping peacefully; she had looked very tired last night so I didn't have the heart to wake her. I slipped off my bed as silently as I could and found the harpies had left her some new jeans and a camp T-shirt at the end of her bed but she'd kicked them off. Smiling to myself I moved her clean clothes onto the personal chest at the foot of her bed, which undoubtedly had more clean clothes in it for her.

I got ready as silently as I could, and was just slipping my trainers on when there was a knock on the door. I ran to get it before Piper knocked again; Sky shifted in her sleep but didn't wake up.

"Hey," I whispered as I slipped outside and closed the door to, because if I did it all the way it would slam.

"Hey, why are we whispering?" it was Percy, not Piper, he whispered back with a smirk. I don't know why I'd expected Piper; she'd be leading Aphrodite Cabin to breakfast.

"Sky's asleep, didn't want to wake her," I was talking in a pantomime whisper now.

"Ah," Percy nodded still looking like he wanted to burst out laughing. "Well, maybe you should because I don't think she can afford to miss a meal, foster parents are supposed to feed their kids right?"

I nodded I knew what he meant, Sky was awfully thin. I mouthed _Wait here if you like_ before stepping back inside. Sky was already stirring so it didn't take much to rouse her, luckily for me she was a morning person. She smiled a thank you to me and gathered her clothes and toiletries from the chest and I went outside to wait with Percy.

I sat down on the steps next to him. "She's just getting ready,"

"Good, good, you sleep okay?"

"Well…" I didn't know whether I should tell him about my dream but Percy had loads of experience with this stuff. "I had this dream," I cut out the part about Alec, I just made out a guy I used to know from Camp Jupiter had told me about Hera being angry and the gods being mad at Zeus and that weird thing they'd said about Sky not being a violation of the oath or something. She was what fourteen? That meant she was born in 99 so the oath was still in action then. It made my mind ache trying to take it all in and Percy seemed just as confused at first.

"We'll talk to Annabeth about it in Sword Practice, should we tell Sky?"

"Tell Sky what?" we both spun around to find her in the doorway already dressed. I thought girls were supposed to take forever to get ready.

"About – um about an oath the big three made after world war two." I decided it was best to tell her the truth; she didn't deserve to be lied to.

"Yeah, you should tell me about that." She agreed after a moments silence like she'd decided you were telling the truth. I knew that's what the pause meant because Reyna had used it a thousand times before.

Percy did most of the explaining, I was pretty rusty on my Greek history and as the oath didn't apply to the gods in their Roman form, he had no reason to know much about it. All I caught was that because children of the Big Three were involved in the war and because the old Great Prophecy predicted a child of the Big Three would make or break Olympus Zeus, Poseidon and Hades made an oath on the river Styx not to have any children. My dad broke it first with Thalia and then Poseidon broke it after with Percy and it seemed Zeus broke it once again after that with Sky. Apparently Nico had been frozen in time and was actually born in late 1930s and I didn't count because I was Roman. Percy explained right up until a few years ago when the oath was scrapped.

Sky took the news she was never meant to be born and therefore an illegal child surprisingly well. At least she took it in silence, I was starting to think last night was the first and last time I'd ever see my sister cry.

Suddenly Sky made the connection "What about you?" she asked Percy sharply then remembered I was there. "Both of you? And Annabeth said there was a son of Hades too?"

"Well," Percy said looking a little guilty in spite of himself "Me and Thalia were the only actual breaches, Jason's Roman so he doesn't count and Nico spent some time in a hotel where he didn't age, he was born a little before the war."

"A hotel he didn't age?" she looked pale now, worried maybe even a little apprehensive, like she was on the brink of answers.

"Yeah, this hotel in Vegas," then Percy realised he'd just told someone how to live forever. "But it's a total trap, they lure you in with games and you forget everything that means anything to you I was once there for what felt like hours and when I left five days had passed."

Sky nodded slowly her eyes clouded again. "Yeah, a total trap…"

We'd reached the pavilion by then not many people paid us much attention, there were a few late comers especially for a Tuesday. Percy left to sit on his own at the Poseidon table, I did feel bad for the guy, I had had to sit on my own for months now it was a shame camp rules wouldn't let him sit with me and Sky. I noticed the few people who were looking at us were Annabeth who's eyebrows were raised with a knowing smirk on her face, when she saw me looking she winked and continued her breakfast. Piper was looking too, but she was trying to hide it, I don't know how she thought anybody could _not _notice the most gorgeous girl at camp glancing up at us and peeking through her hair. Honestly, _Piper. _I didn't think she'd realised I'd seen how sharp she'd been with Sky, if I didn't know any better I'd say she was jealous. Leo _was_ looking but only to catch Sky's eye and give her a thumbs up.

It was weird seeing Leo like this, this was what it must look like when he _actually _liked a girl and didn't have some daft crush like Khione and Thalia. Actually, I hadn't realised, Leo was making a habit of crushing on my sisters, I'd have to run it by Piper; love was definitely one of her specialities rather than mine.

Sky still had a faraway look in her eyes when she ordered her apple juice and pancakes from her crockery. They looked so good I decided to order some too.

"You know I don't think you have anything to worry about – you know the oath – it was terminated ages ago."

"Is that why you were talking about it with Percy when I wasn't around?" why did I keep forgetting she wasn't stupid?

"That wasn't why we were talking about it, but like I say, I think dad doesn't think there's a problem, he claimed you. So you never know."

"I suppose so ..." she paused to sip her juice. "All I know is if _I_ was an immortal goddess and _my _husband was having children with other women when he'd sworn not to, well, let us just say I would not be very happy." She studied me for a reaction. How long was she listening to us?

I shrugged and tried to sound nonchalant. "You mean Hera? I don't reckon she'll mind."

"She hates heroes."

"Not all heroes, she's my patron you know, and I'm a child of her husband so perhaps she's over getting angry."

"Perhaps," I was starting to worry about how much she sounded like Reyna.

We finished our breakfast in small talk, it wasn't too awkward. I just asked her simple questions about herself, she liked skating of any description but apart from that didn't have any favourites. I suppose on the streets preferences go out of the window.

Sky set down her knife and fork just before me. "What do we do now?"

"Well, I just wanna talk to Piper and then we've got Sword fighting with the Athena Cabin."

"Okay," she said. "Who teaches that? Chiron?"

"Nah," I got to my feet and stretched. "Percy, best swordsman in camp." She didn't look pleased about that but started getting ready to go.

I walked over to the Aphrodite table and a bunch of Piper's sisters, including Drew, giggled. Piper looked amazing as per usual, but she had a weird expression on her face, like she was trying to be annoyed and restrain a smile at the same time.

"Hey Pipes, you got a minute before activities start?"

She folded her arms and didn't look at me. "So you're talking to me now?"

"Um, I think so … are you okay?"

"I'm fine Jason." She said shortly.

"You don't sound fine, can I talk to you or …?" I didn't know how to end my question so I left it to her; Piper's great at seeing possibilities, so maybe she could see the possibility of explaining to me what was wrong.

Piper just huffed, got up out of her chair and stalked out of the dining pavilion. She didn't normally act like that. I followed her completely bewildered.

On my way I had to pass Percy's table. "I don't envy you," he murmured to me with a smirk. I looked over my shoulder at Annabeth; she was watching me with an amused and sympathetic face, like she was watching a puppy who was about to be scolded.

Piper had gone a little further than necessary so we were completely out of ear and eye shot. She had her back to me.

"Pipes, seriously, what've I done?"

"If you don't know I can't help you."

"Please Pipes; I don't what you to be mad at me."

"I," she turned to look at me; her anger seemed to have faded, she just looked bitter now. "It's just me I'm being stupid."

I walked up to her and put my arms around her, "You're never stupid."

"I was being stupid," her tone was softer now, happier, she hugged me back. "Stupid, being jealous …"

"Hold up," I pulled back and looked her in the eyes, "You were _jealous?_ Of _who?" _it was all I could do not to laugh. Piper, perfect, beautiful, modest, funny Piper was _jealous? _What did anybody else have that she didn't or needed? Piper had an answer.

"Sky," her tanned skin darkened slightly as she blushed.

"She's my sister, why?" I asked incredulously, not like Piper was better than Sky but they were so completely different in my mind it was hard to even put it into words.

"It's just – well, before she was claimed – she was looking at you funny and – well, you were paying her tons of attention – and oh I don't know she just kept staring … - like I said stupid of me -,"

I just shook my head and silenced her with a kiss, silly girl; she was so self-conscious it was almost comical. Watching her stutter I knew she must be worried because her charmspeak was leaking into her words but because there was no imperative, well, it was confusing. I pulled her into another hug.

"Honestly Pipes, and well … Sky was looking at me funny for a reason and it wasn't the good one." I'd end up telling Piper about Sky sooner or later but now wasn't the time.

"Yeah, and even if she wasn't your sister … well, you saw how she was around Leo," we exchange mischievous smiles.

"I _was _meaning to talk to you about that,"

She nodded knowingly. "Later, I've got nature/survival with Demeter Cabin in ten minutes."

"Enjoy, I heard Katie Gardiner has been practicing with poison ivy recently,"

She bit her lip, she looked so cute was she was worried. "What's that rhyme for poison ivy again?"

"Um, … pass?"

We returned to the pavilion to find Sky and the Aphrodite cabin were the only people left at breakfast. Sky jumped up when she saw me like she was glad to get away from them.

"Thank the gods, Jason, I've met hyena's that aren't as scary as them girls."

Piper laughed, "Yes they can be a bit unnerving, sorry we didn't get chance to be properly introduced I'm Piper Mclean."

Sky's eyes got all wide. "Piper _Mclean? _Like Tristan Mclean's _daughter_?"

Piper winced. Her dad was a really famous movie actor but she didn't like to brag about it, not that she was ashamed she just didn't like being treated differently. I couldn't blame her I had a similar situation going on but no one treated me differently because they'd be too scared my dad would blast them off the face of the earth. Piper's dad was a lot more chilled out; I'd met him the couple of times I'd gone into the mortal world.

"Um, yeah," she mumbled.

Sky let out a low whistle. "You've got a pretty awesome dad."

"Yeah well, not as awesome as yours." She smiled half-heartedly.

"I don't know about that, but nice to meet you. I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore. Also, the rhyme for poison ivy is _Leaves of three, let them be – that's poison ivy. _I'll head towards the sword fighting arena I think I remember where it is from the tour." She ran off to the stadium before I could protest.

Piper looked at my suspiciously. "What did she mean not mad at her anymore? Did you say something?"

"What? No! I don't know what she meant she probably just thought you were – I – I don't know."

She seemed to believe me and giggled a bit.

"Hey Piper are you ready yet?!" Lacy a little girl with braces from Aphrodite Cabin called from their table. The campers weren't exactly getting restless, still looking at their own reflections but Demeter wouldn't wait forever.

"See you later," Piper stretched up to give me a kiss on the cheek and rushed off to lead her cabin.

**A/N**

**Okay I'm not a huge - do they call Jason and Piper Jasper now? - well anyway I haven't really fully forgiven Piper for comparing Jason and Percy in MoA and calling Percy unimpressive, I am sorry but NO ONE not even a god can call Percy Jackson unimpressive I also don't want to write from Piper's point of view because it seemed in the books when I read about Jason from her PoV I didn't like him I don't really know why maybe I'm just weird. Anyway that's all hope you liked it! :)**


	7. Chapter 7 - Jason

JASON

**I should really learn not to underestimate girls.**

But, of course, like everything I must learn, I have to do it the hard way. By the time I got down to the arena Percy had already showed everyone the manoeuvre they were learning and set the Athena Campers practising in pairs. He and Annabeth were half practising half talking while Sky sat to one side watching. I felt bad for her being left out until I saw how much she was concentrating on everybody's styles and techniques and looking like she was enjoying her position.

Percy glanced up from his one on one with his girlfriend. "'Bout time Grace, even the son of Jupiter shouldn't be late. Ever heard of setting an example?" he joked.

"Shut up Jackson, I got held up." I walked towards them until I was out of Sky's earshot so I could talk to Annabeth. "Did Percy tell you yet?"

Her face looked troubled and her eyes turned stormy like she was thinking at a hundred miles an hour. "Yeah, Zeus' kids seem to be popping up all over the place. I just hope Sky's safe here, but if Hera's not the only Olympian who's angry well, it's unlikely she will be."

"Because of the oath you told me about?" Sky literally appeared out of nowhere at my side. Even Annabeth jumped which gave Percy chance to knock her sword out of her hand, she didn't seem to mind – she was the first to admit swordplay wasn't her strongest suit and you had to be very lucky to beat Percy and Riptide.

"You know for heroes you're very easy to sneak up on." Sky said matter-of-factly.

"No you're just freakishly fast and quiet." I said.

"That, is a survival skill you need growing up on the streets of New York." she replied with a fair nod and smile. she was clearly not looking for pity – she didn't seem the type who'd welcome it either.

"You're from New York?" Percy perked up a bit. He was from Manhattan.

"Nah, somewhere in rural England I think. I moved to America with my parents when I was three or so but after a while we got, um, separated and I lived on my own a bit before the social caught up with me." Sky explained very fluently, if I hadn't known the sad version I probably wouldn't have noticed her pause. Neither did Percy. Annabeth on the other hand …

"Separated?"

"Yeah, separated, dad left, brother died, mom got mad, and I left. Not nessarcarily in that order." Her face was expressionless but her eyes sparked with what looked like little forks of electricity.

"Oh," Annabeth looked sympathetic. "How old were you?"

"Four and a bit," she shrugged.

"_Four?" _Percy was so shocked he dropped Riptide mid-spin.

"And I thought I was young. How you survive for so long on your own?" Annabeth could relate to this so I decided not to but in because I most certainly couldn't. Annabeth had run away when she was seven but she'd only survived a couple of weeks on her own before my sister and her friend, Luke, took her in.

"Well, um," Sky looked uncomfortable she started to fiddle with a silver necklace charm then realising what she was doing looked down. "What's this?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, I'd seen the necklace when I sat with her last night, it was a thin, but strong looking silver chain with a small lightning bolt shaped charm of the same metal.

She continued to examine it like it was alien, though. "I've never seen this before in my life."

"You weren't wearing it during your tour," Annabeth offered.

"You were wearing it last night in the Cabin though." I added.

"It's probably a weapon from your dad, he probably sent it during the campfire, and you will need one here." Percy picked up his sword/pen.

Annabeth looked stunned, to be honest her boyfriend didn't usually offer answers but he was smarter than he looked and not as dumb as he acted which believe me are not the same thing.

"A necklace is a weapon?" Sky didn't look convinced.

"Yeah look," Percy uncapped and recapped Riptide and Annabeth took her New York Yankees cap out of her pocket, put it on and became invisible then reappeared. Weirdest show-and-tell ever.

Sky didn't even blink. "How does mine work then?" she carried on examining the charm like a hand grenade.

Percy shrugged again. "It's different for all of them try pulling the charm off or something." Percy practiced a few thrusts and swipes with his glowing celestial Bronze sword on a dummy in Greek armour. In no time it was a pile of stuffing.

Sky considered it and pulled the charm, it came clean off in her hand. She looked shocked and even more so when it grew into a four foot long stick of pulsing electrical energy making the whole arena smell like ozone. It was either one of Zeus' Thunderbolts or a really, really good replica. Every camper in the arena dropped their jaw.

"Whoa…" Sky spun it between her fingers like a twirling baton. "This is channelling like, 12 million volts in hand held mode, if it's like anything like a natural one it could do a billion easy."

"Volts shock, current kills. What's it running at?" Malcolm, one of Annabeth's brothers, asked expertly.

"It keeps changing, right now 0.00001 milliamps now … 0.023 milliamps; let me see … yeah, I'm willing it up and down …. Uh, this is pretty lethal I just got up to 30 amps and it only takes 20 _milli_amps to kill a person." She frowned. "That's a shame;"

"What is?" Annabeth said.

"It's nice but I can't use it in this class,"

But before she was even finished answering the glowing bolt shrunk and morphed. In less than a second Sky was holding a two and a half foot long, double-edged, silver sword, with leather bound handle and shiny hilt encrusted with blue gems. I have to admit I was actually a little jealous; it was far flashier than my _gladius._

Everyone was silent for a minute or two before Annabeth commented, "Pretty impressive," there was a murmur of assent from her siblings as they when back to their training, the sound of metal crashing on metal echoed around the arena while Sky and I continued to gape at the sword.

"How do I turn it back to a necklace charm?" Sky asked me finally.

"Um, try looking at the bottom maybe there's and off button." I shrugged but my answer sounded more like a question.

Sky checked the handle of her sword and instead of a button there was a miniscule hook just big enough to reattach to the empty chain around her neck. However, when the weapon shrunk to the size of a thumbnail it was no longer a little lightning bolt it was a tiny silver sword instead.

"It must just remember the last time you use it." Annabeth reasoned, "It's a good job you have your own, though, it normally takes forever to root through the weapon shed to find one you like. Did you call your foster mom?"

Sky bit her lip and brought out Annabeth's cell, "I'm sorry I forgot do you mind if I -?"

"Not at all," Annabeth smiled.

"I'm sorry again, it won't take long," Sky dialled a number on the phone and brought it to her ear.

"… Hey, Anna." She winced. "Yeah, it's me; I know I'm sorry, … it wasn't my fault though, - I don't know exactly where he is, … so what if he's not returning your calls? He's a monster! … No I am not routing for attention. He's in hell where he belongs." Sky seemed to realise what she just said. "No, no, no I didn't kill him! He attacked me so some, um, strangers stepped in. No they didn't kill him! Well, not technically … Oh go and tell the police, then … what if I don't care? … I'd like to see you try; you don't even know where I am. – I think you will find I do have somewhere to go and I bet Elaine is not going to be happy about you losing me … yeah I suppose you're right she probably won't care. No -," Anna must have interrupted her, I couldn't hear what she said but all of a sudden Sky's face got steely calm. "If that's what you really think, Anna then you can join your stupid boyfriend in Tartarus."

Sky hung up the phone with difficulty because her hands were shaking. Annabeth tried to take her phone but as soon as she touched it she withdrew like she'd been electrocuted. Still trembling, Sky did something a little strange; she knelt down onto the floor and flattened her palms on the dirt and straw strewn ground. I counted ten Mississippi before she eventually stood up again.

"I'm good," she smiled and passed Annabeth her phone like the previous conversation never happened. Percy and I looked at each other and came to silent agreement not to mention it.

"The hand thing?" I asked.

"Oh, channelling my extra electrical energy into the ground so I don't zap people." She laughed. I'd have to remember that trick. "So," she drew her sword, "I guess I need to start pulling my weight."

We ran through a few basic techniques and parries with Sky, well, Percy and I did, showing her both Greek and Roman styles but she was surprisingly good. She said she was just a fast learner and had watched a lot of history films but I sensed there was a lot of natural ability too.

"Okay, I think you've got that, want a quick practise?" Percy offered, I noticed how he said "_quick"_ like he was sure he'd have no problem against Sky.

"Sure," Sky stepped forward.

Percy and Sky took their positions facing each other and began exchanging swipes and blocks, warming up. I thought Percy probably had the upper hand, he'd had several years more practice and I'd never seen a better swordsman in my life but Sky seemed to be holding her own, she had a few advantages, she was smaller, faster and her new weapon seemed to have a mind of its own, not in the bad way more like it was responding to what Sky wanted it to do rather than what she was actually doing. Sky also had really good reflexes but then again, so did Percy.

The fight got less relaxed. Percy made a more direct strike that should have caught a novice off guard but Sky deflected it easily, he made another, aiming for just inside her arm but she looked like she'd expected it and not only blocked it but returned with her own swipe that caught the top of Percy's right arm. It was only a small cut and it probably only stung a little but Percy got this little glint in his eye that made me think he was done being easy. He started picking up the speed between strikes but Sky continued to fend them off barely breaking a sweat. Percy pulled another trick of his; he tried to disarm her by doing the thing where you twist your sword at your opponents hilt so they have to drop it but before he had chance to finish it Sky thrust her sword up forcing him to do the same.

Their swords were crossed in the air and it would have really been a competition of strength if Sky didn't pull a stunt even Percy hadn't seen, instead of submitting, Sky slid her silver blade down Percy's bronze one, with both of her hands. In a fast fluid motion I didn't really follow she was holding Percy's own sword behind his head, the flat of its blade on the back of his neck and the point of her own sword was resting underneath his chin. Considering he was almost ten inches taller than her I was surprised she could reach then I realised Sky was floating almost that much off the ground so she was on eye level with him. Sky realised what she'd done. She lowered Riptide and backed onto the ground with a mumbled apology but Percy looked impressed.

"That was awesome! Can you show me how you did that?" Sky looked wary about it but repeated the move in slow motion several times for Percy (during which she tried to explain to Percy that being able to shock people so they loosen their grip on their sword helped a lot) and he seemed to love the new lesson and said he'd practice it on the Hermes lot after lunch. I had a few practices with Percy too while Annabeth talked with Sky at the edge of the arena.

Eventually, Annabeth told the Athena lot that they had climbing next and that she'd catch up with them. Sky seemed to be enjoying herself with Annabeth when they came over to where me and Percy were downing full bottles of water at a time.

"I was just asking Sky what it was like living in England when she was little, I really want to go and see the Shard."

"I'd like to as well, it wasn't there when I lived there," Sky added.

"It is relatively new; I also want to see Tower Bridge and Big Ben," Annabeth got this dreamy expression she always got when she talked about architecture. It always made me wonder how she and Percy worked sometimes because he wasn't that into academics even though his dad was god of the sea he wasn't deep and mysterious, he was more like a swimming pool, clear and open – he never thought anything he wouldn't say out loud. That's a good thing though, you're always on the same page with him – providing you don't make the mistake of thinking he's stupid.

"I would like to go back there; I never lived in London, or visited it, but I really wanted to just before we moved because of the Olympics." Sky said nonchalantly.

Annabeth was brought back to the surface. "The Olympics? The London Olympics were last year. I thought you said you moved here when you were three?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, um, my mistake. You know I haven't seen Leo in so long is it okay if I got to see him in the forges? Thanks," then Sky disappeared out of the Arena.

"That girl could outrun a nymph." Percy muttered recapping Riptide.

"You can say that again." I agreed.

Annabeth looked puzzled. "That's not the first weird thing she said, before, the way she phrased it when I asked her what it was like there, it sounded like she grew up with a ration book and a bunch of kids from the city."

"Ration book?" Percy asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but smiled, her boyfriend wasn't stupid but he could be slow sometimes. "Honestly Seaweed Brain, that's what families were given in England so they could only have a certain amount of food after the German's cut of their resources in World War II. And children were sent from the city to families in the countryside to save them from the blitz. Some stayed for a while after the blitz ended because their families were missing or dead or recovering."

"They restricted their food? Man, war must have been hard."

"Yeah, but that ended in 1945 right?" I asked; my foreign history was pretty rusty. I was barely able to separate Roman and Greek history without mixing mortal history in too.

"No, it carried on after the end of the war because of food shortages and other things."

"Maybe she meant something else." I offered. Annabeth didn't look convinced but let it drop.

"How was she last night?" Percy asked.

"She was okay, I guess, a bit upset but because of family stuff you know …" I decided to not elaborate.

"She said she was worried she wasn't making a good first impression – she thinks she looks pretty pathetic." Annabeth said but she didn't sound like she believed it.

Percy grunted. "Anyone who can live on the streets of New York when they're four is not pathetic in my eyes."

"I agree," Annabeth said.

"Speaking of New York, aren't you two supposed to be back home by now?"

They both looked at each other. Percy answered. "We were, you know gonna leave this morning, because we were only on call for this week and as soon as we'd collected Sky I was going to go back to my mom's and Annabeth was going back to San Francisco to her dad's and try and do the last week of school before we came back for summer but when Sky got claimed …" he fiddled with his armour straps. "Well, when kids of the big three turn up it usually means something's going to happen – and not nessarcarily good. Like Thalia being turned into a tree and me being accused of stealing your dad's master bolt and then when you turned up …"

"Hera was kidnapped," I finished. "Right, well let's hope for the good."

"Hear, hear." said Percy.

"Your dream tells me we might be hoping in vain." Annabeth added optimistically.

"I wish you were wrong more often." Percy took her hand. "Come on – climbing,"

We walked out together, they both departed for the climbing wall and I went the opposite direction to find Piper. I couldn't afford to think like Annabeth, I didn't want something big to happen, for once I was happy with how things were and I didn't want anything good or bad happening to change it.


	8. Chapter 8 - Annabeth

ANNABETH

**I agreed with Percy. I wished I was wrong more often.**

We finished climbing and I dismissed the rest of the Cabin to do as they pleased until lunch. They seemed pleased with it and most went back to the Cabin or to the infirmary to get their burns treated from the lava that flowed down the climbing wall at camp. They were fairly minor injuries. Percy and I just walked and talked until we reached the pier to the canoe lake and we sat down. I wasn't really fully there though. I just kept thinking about the weird things Sky had said and what her presence here meant. In the world of Demigods there was no such thing as a coincidence or an accident.

"Are you okay?" Percy reached out to put his hand on my cheek.

I leant into it and tried to focus on just him and the present instead of the looming future. "Yeah, I guess so … it's just Sky … there's something …" I didn't know how to finish.

"Odd about her?" Percy offered.

"Not odd, just … different, I guess. I think she's hiding something; you're right when children of the big three turn up, Zeus in particular, it means something's about to happen. I honestly don't know Percy but hopefully it won't concern us. Wow, that sounded selfish …" I frowned.

"No it's not selfish," Percy assured me. This was a change, him reassuring me about the future. "I agree, I hope it doesn't concern us but … hey if there's a dangerous and possibly fatal quest ahead that involves angry gods and hostile monsters, how can it not?"

I laughed. So did someone else. "You two sure do have a habit of getting yourselves into trouble." Rachel Elizabeth Dare was walking towards us in her holey marker covered jeans and Clarions' Ladies Academy Hoodie. Percy withdrew his hand and leant back on his elbows so I could speak to her.

"Hey, Rachel what are you doing back so soon?" I asked, I was quite pleased she turned up; I could do with a nice good oracle omen right about now.

"Finished early for the summer, I had and oracle feeling to spend it here. I'm not interrupting am I?"

"No, we were just talking about our latest addition." I patted the ground next to me and she sat down.

"The daughter of Zeus? Chiron told me. That's not a good thing is it?"

"It could be," Percy said hopefully. "She doesn't _seem _like trouble. She's pretty cool actually Jason said she skates," Percy seemed to remember I was here and blushed "Not that I …" he didn't finish and became very interested in a blade of grass near his right hand.

Rachel seemed amused and decided to help him out. Not that he was in trouble but he'd think he was. _Seaweed Brain. _He did make me laugh sometimes. "You two should get on then. I don't get the whole god relation thing but if her dad's Zeus isn't she like your cousin on your dad's side or … something?" I had actually thought of that but didn't really think it was worth bringing up.

"Oh yeah," Percy looked very pleased. "We count that right? 'Cause Thalia said I was her cousin and she's Sky's sister …" he looked at me.

"We count that but I think that only extends to Zeus and Hades kids." I patted his foot, God relation confused Percy – to tell the truth it confused me but I'd never let him know that.

"Hold on a second," Rachel made a time out gesture with her hands. "There's a daughter of _Zeus_ called _Sky_? Isn't that a bit on the nose?" she looked like she was about to break down in laughter but was trying to be polite.

Percy wore the same expression and I think I might have too but we kept straight faces. "Hermes is the god of thieves and has two kids with the surname Stoll." Percy shrugged. "Maybe the gods have an ironic sense of humour."

Rachel pressed her mouth together for several seconds to control her voice before saying. "Maybe,"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on lunch will start in a minute." The moment I said it the conch horn sounded.

The three of us made our way to the dining pavilion and I walked over to lead my brothers and sisters. We were all sat down when Jason, Sky, Piper and the Aphrodite bunch turned up. Sky looked completely exhilarated and a little windswept. She and Jason took their seats at the Zeus table and piper led Ten over to theirs. Rachel and Percy were just parting ways when Rachel almost collapsed.

Percy only just caught her and one of the Apollo kids ran over with a stool for her to sit on. I rushed over just as green smoke billowed out of Rachel's mouth and the voice of the Oracle spoke from her. She was staring at Sky with glowing green eyes that weren't so different from her normal ones. Sky paled.

'You shall tame the guard of the thieving titan

With a sibling, a friend and two others your quest will lighten.

Taken off course by the bitter king,

One on one you must battle Spring,

Queen of the gods revels in her fury,

One alone will convince the jury,

To the palace in the air is where three will travel

Princess of the sky's fate falls to the gavel'

Rachel slumped and Percy and I helped her into a seated position, we carried her to one side for her to recover. Everyone stared at Jason's table. Jason and Percy exchanged a look.

"What did I do?" Sky shrunk under everyone's gapes.

I looked to Chiron. "War council?"

He nodded gravely. "Yes, Head Counsellors meet at the Big House in fifteen minutes. Jason you should bring Sky, too."

It only took 10 minutes to gather everyone in the game room. we all sat around the ping pong table: Mr D who was just playing with a little wreath of grape vines and generally not paying attention, Chiron, Rachel, Sky and the head counsellors well most of them, me, Percy, Jason, Clarisse La Rue head of Ares, Will Solace head of Apollo, Leo head of Hephaestus, Travis and Conner from Hermes, Katie Gardiner from Demeter, Piper, Pollux (Mr D's only remaining son), a boy named Tyler from Hectate that I'd never spoken to, Tori Spence who was the new head of Nike, Butch head of Iris and Clovis from Hypnos. The Nemesis and Tyche head counsellors had stayed behind to keep an eye on things, the Hebe head counsellor was only eleven so she didn't attend meetings and Nico head of hades was still off doing his own thing. Everyone was looking worried (apart from Clovis who was asleep) we hadn't had a prophecy in almost a year we thought we might be in the clear for a while. Clearly we were wrong.

Chiron cleared his throat because he was in his wheel chair form so stamping his hooves wasn't an option. "All right, it looks like we have another quest upon us. First, however, we must decipher the prophecy does anyone remember?"

"Um, _You shall tame the guard of the thieving titan, With a_ _sibling, a friend and two others the quest will lighten. – _um …" Percy started. "Taken off towards the _- _no that doesn't sound right … anyone else?"

"_Taken off course by the bitter king," _Clarisse corrected.

"_One on one you must battle Spring," _Katie chimed in, making daisy's grow from the palm of her hand.

"_Queen of the gods revels in her fury," _I remembered that bit mainly because it involved Hera – yet again.

"One alone will convince the jury,"

Will interjected.

There was a silence as everyone tried to remember the last part. Chiron usually let us figure these things out for ourselves but he started to finish the prophecy for us.

"_To the palace in the air is where three will travel,-"_

"Princess of the sky's fate falls to the gavel,

" Sky said hollowly.

"Falls to the gravel? Didn't we like _just_ beat Gaia?" Travis asked.

Leo turned on him. "Excuse me? _We_?"

Travis flushed red. Jason intercepted. "Yes Leo, _We_. Hype down we need to start this from the beginning," we turned to Rachel.

"Okay, I think it was _gavel _not gravel and you said the first line was _'You shall tame the guard of the thieving titan' _any ideas what it might mean?"

Everyone thought for a second, I was stumped. Weren't all Titan's thieves? One name in particular came to mind. "The thieving – couldn't that be Prometheus?"

"That's likely," Chiron encouraged. "His guard does anyone know?" Chiron was a teacher to the core but I had no idea about this question.

"_Aetos Kaukasios," _Sky replied in Greek but immediately I knew it to mean 'Eagle Kafkasou'.

"Excellent," Chiron exclaimed.

I turned to her. "How did you know that?"

She put her face in her hands. "I met him today; Aetos the Caucasian Eagle, Zeus set him to guard Prometheus on Mount Kaukasos as punishment for stealing fire and giving it to the mortals but after Hercules killed him to free Prometheus … he regenerated and become a free spirit, he sired most of the giant eagle they use at Camp Jupiter Jason." She looked up guiltily. "I swear, to like all the gods, he found me, I went exploring and he kind of landed near me and spoke to me in my mind it was weird but I figured that it just you know _happened _here because Percy could talk to Blackjack and …" she stalled rubbed her forehead. Piper put her hand on her back.

"Yeah, the horse speak is a Poseidon thing, I guess you can talk to eagles because that's Zeus' animal." Percy reasoned. Not the best comforter.

"Hey, don't feel bad, this is good, it means we've just got one less thing to figure out," Piper soothed with her charmspeak, immediately the tension seemed to lift from the table and I really felt better. I shook my head to clear it.

"_With a sibling, a friend and two other your quest will lighten. _So that tells us who should go, five isn't a good number to take on a quest though."

"Quite right, the last quest of five we sent well, those who went remember, but if the oracle has spoken it cannot be avoided." Chiron was even having trouble putting a good spin on this. He was remembering the quest to save Artemis, the two hunters who went died and Percy, Thalia and Grover survived.

"So a sibling, that's me," Jason started even if he didn't look overly excited for another quest.

"Wait what?" Sky looked up in alarm.

"We need to decide who's leaving for the quest, princess," Clarisse said it like _well duh! _i thought she could be kinder but the tough love was really more her style.

"But really, I'm the only one who needs to go, it's only a trip to Olympus why do we need five?" Sky retorted.

"Not according to the rest of the prophecy – _taken off course by the bitter king,-" _Clarisse amended.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're not at that part yet," Percy stopped their little debate. He put up one hand. "So Sky," he put down one finger. "A sibling, that's Jason," he put down another finger. "A friend, Leo you've known her longest so …?"

"I'm in," Leo said. Sky looked pained by those words; I didn't think Leo should have gone into so much detail about the dangers of quests yesterday night.

"And two more," Mr D said absentmindedly. We all turned to stare at him. "Well, don't look so surprised! I am listening, I am a god you know, and I can multitask!"

It took us a few heartbeats to recover.

"Yes, quite," Chiron smiled. "Any suggestions?"

"Well," Clarisse started. "You'll need people who can chaperone so, older, and are good at defending,"

"Yes, and who are experienced in quests and fighting and stuff," Conner spoke for the first time in the meeting.

"And who've been to Olympus before, a lot," Butch added.

I had been playing with a sweet wrapper, twisting and untwisting trying to figure out the rest of the prophecy, and Percy had been watching Seymour eating a Snausage so it took us a while to realise who they were looking at.

I looked at Percy then back at everyone else. "What? Us?"

"Yes, Wise Girl, you two have the most experience," Clarisse said dryly.

"You're our best quest leaders," Will said.

"And you work well, as a team," Jason put in fairly.

"Definitely, I'd be dead ten times over if it weren't for you guys," Leo piped up.

I was a bit embarrassed from their compliments, the quest didn't sound overly difficult, I looked at Percy to show him I didn't mind. He was leaning back in his chair with a poker face; I caught his eye, "You called it," I joked.

He sighed in exasperation, but I thought he might be putting it on, secretly I thought he quite enjoyed quests. "The one time I _wanted _to be wrong. Okay, fine but we're not the ones you should be asking. Sky's quest leader,"

We all looked at Sky, she bit her lip, "I still don't see why, _anyone_, needs to come with me but … Leo and Jason have both told me how good you are … if you don't mind, I guess so," she didn't look worried just wary, like she was trying to be strong, I remembered leading my first quest and how scared I was that I was leading all my friends into a death trap. I would have been about the same age as Sky was now. Now that I looked back on it, scared didn't really cover it, I was very impressed that Sky was keeping it together so well. She'd only found out she was a demigod yesterday.

"We don't mind," surprisingly Percy was the one who reassured her.

"Okay, so Sky, Jason, Leo, Percy and Annabeth will go on the quest." Chiron announced officially.

"Wait," Piper looked alarmed, "If Jason's going I want to come too!"

"It only says five, Pipes," Jason put his hand on her arm.

"But - !" she fell silent when she saw the pleading look in her boyfriend's eyes. I knew she wasn't done though. "Okay,"

Percy broke the awkward silence. "Okay, I guess I have to listen better now, next line?"

"_Taken off course by the bitter king," _Rachel answered. "So, I think Clarisse is right, you're not on a straight course for Olympus,"

"But who's the bitter king?" Will asked. "Midas? Minos? What's he king of?"

"I think we'll just have to brace ourselves and sort out the king when we meet him. _One on one you will battle Spring …_ it's not Spring now so, I don't know, bad weather?"

"Possibly," Piper agreed in a small voice. "When we annoyed Khione, we had snowstorms all through our quest."

"The next is obvious, _Queen of the gods revels in her fury,_ Hera can't be happy about _another_ breach of the oath," I said scathingly. I had started to perhaps get over my Hera issues but losing her rag over another one of Zeus' affairs was reaching obsessive.

Jason and Leo stared increduously at me. Everyone but Clovis (who was still asleep) and Mr D (who seemed to have lost interest again) was looking at me disbelievingly. Percy looked like he was about to say something then thought better of it. I didn't realise exactly what I'd said until I saw a tear run down Sky's cheek as she stared at the Ping Pong table net. Oh gods what had I done? I was just about to apologize when Sky quickly wiped the tear away and started speaking.

"_One alone will convince the jury, _that's pretty self-explanatory, the palace in the air … that's Olympus right?"

Percy still looked unsure, I wanted to apologize for how thoughtless I'd been about my phrasing but he made his decision and ploughed on ahead. "Yeah, top of the Empire State Building," Percy agreed.

"Okay, so, yeah, that's it. We go to Olympus for my trial or whatever, take a detour and hopefully make it back there in time right?" Sky summed up.

"Essentially," Mr D said. "But you should try to do it before the solstice, it's the unwritten deadline my stepmother has given our father to summon you to Olympus by."

"Is that why you missed dinner last night?" Percy asked him.

"Not that it's any of your business Peter Johnson -,"

"Percy Jackson," Percy corrected automatically.

"-but I was called to Olympus last night to discuss what Sky's presence here would mean to the oath, alas, not even Athena can decide whether the young one is violating it." He addressed Sky. "Lady Hera, asked me to tell you about the deadline, Miss Campbell, but father requested privately I was not to worry you with it, he thinks he will be able to reason with his wife but … it does not look promising. Many of the Olympians are starting to wonder about his willpower …"

"They're questioning his authority," Jason finished hoarsely.

"Precisely, John Green."

"Err, Jason Grace, sir."

"Hmm, what? Well, nevertheless, since you are taking a quest now, you best know your deadline." He began eating his Cheese Whiz and playing Ms Pac Man on a retro Gameboy.

"It's the fifth today, so that gives us sixteen days. If we're going to be taking a detour then we could do with leaving early." Percy reasoned.

"It's the fifth today?" Leo asked furrowing his brow. "Something's happening tomorrow …" Sky sat bolt upright. "Sky wait a second isn't it your – OW!"

"Least favourite day of the year, yes it is, so shall we just leave tonight get it over with? Percy's right, we could do with a head start." she looked at Chiron for permission.

"Yes I suppose, I would ask Argus to take you but considering the prophecy says you will tame Aetos, I think you should fly there yourselves."

"Aetos won't be able to carry is all," Sky said a bit too animatedly like she wanted to change the subject a bit too much. I wondered what was wrong with the sixth of June.

Percy got up, "I'll call Blackjack for me and Annabeth, can you call Tempest?"

Jason nodded, "Can Aetos manage you and Leo?"

Sky laughed, it was only about the third time she'd done it in front of me but it still took me by surprise, it was a strange tinkling little sound, really clear and happy – enchanting and childlike. You could almost believe she hadn't just been told a bunch of all powerful gods wanted her dead. "Oh, you'll see," she chuckled. "Meet you guys outside here in a bit?"

We nodded and the council dispersed.


	9. Chapter 9 - Annabeth

ANNABETH

**Most say empathy is a good thing. What they don't mention is **how hard it is to watch someone upset and know how it feels and that you can't do anything about it.

Percy and I flew down to the cabins and packed together. We made one stop so Percy could talk to Mrs O'Leary and we stopped at my cabin first. I packed my New York Yankees invisibility hat, some clean clothes, my toothbrush, my bronze dagger (the replacement for the one I lost in Tartarus) and some cubes of emergency ambrosia.

We didn't talk much, mainly because this felt all too familiar and Blackjack made it hard to have a serious conversation constantly asking for doughnuts. We rendezvoused with the others at the top of the hill near the guard dragon, Peleus. Jason and Piper were talking beside Tempest and Chiron stood off to one side looking uncomfortable. We landed next to him and dismounted with our backpacks.

I realised too late Piper was close to breaking down; I tried my best to block out her and Jason's conversation because it made me feel as uncomfortable as Chiron looked and I felt as if I was intruding. It didn't work very well.

"Please, just let me come Jason, I'm going to be no use to anyone here if you go and I don't know what's happening." Piper pleaded.

"Pipes," Jason sighed, "You can't, you heard the prophecy only five can go ... anyways it's not going to be a long quest, there won't be enough for us to do."

"Then, stay here!"

"You know I can't do that. She's my sister, Piper. I need to be there."

"Either it's going to be so easy you'll be side lined or it's so worrying you'll need extra people for moral support. Which is it?"

"Pipes," Jason was pleading now. "Just stay here, please? I promise I will Iris-message you with updates,"

Piper was wavering. "You know you might as well just let me come, I'll just follow you if you don't,"

Jason shook his head. "One step ahead of you I had Percy talk to the Pegasi, they all get extra hay if they behave and stay here until we get back. The one who brings an extra camper for the quest gets a lifelong ban from sugar cubes. They won't give you a ride. Also, I don't think Mr D will let you out that easily."

Piper spun around to give Percy a dirty look, he shrugged. Piper turned to face Jason again, I thought she might punch him but instead she let him pull her into a hug. I couldn't see if she was crying but Jason looked close to tears. He leant down and kissed the top of her head, then gave Percy a pleading look.

I mouthed. _Did you?_ to Percy. He shook his head. I guess Jason just really wanted Piper to stay put. Maybe he was thinking about how only three travel to Olympus and five set off.

The day was sunny; then again it always was at Camp Half-Blood, I watched as the campers who'd finished dinner early continued their daily activities, whispering and wondering about the recent prophecy. I watched my Cabin led by Malcolm (I'd run into him while I was packing and he agreed to look after Six while I wasn't around) make their way to the Archery range. I thought about how Percy and I had planned to go canoeing this afternoon, and then a huge shadow fell over us.

Spiralling down to land was a huge eagle the size of a large Jeep with wings that extended five metres out either side of it. At first it looked like a bronze automaton like Festus but when I blinked it was a real flesh and blood eagle with golden plumage and a steely coloured sharp beak. I blinked again and it changed back to an automaton. Whichever form it was though, it had big black eyes the size of fruit bowls. It was a little intimidating. Blackjack whinnied nervously and backed up a little Tempest flickered with electricity, but otherwise looked indifferent to the new addition.

On the huge birds back Sky and Leo sat laughing hysterically. Leo jumped off very boyishly and held one hand out. "My lady," she said jokingly.

Sky laughed but took it and slid down gracefully. "Why thank you sir," she curtseyed melodramatically. Sky had said that they were – and I quote - "definitely _not _like that, just good friends," even if that was true, they were unbelievably cute together. They noticed everyone looking at them.

"Old joke," Leo said. "So Jason, you reckon Aetos can manage?"

Jason gave a low whistle, "I'd say,"

Leo grinned, his eyes sparkling with this mad gleam he got when he got a new tool. "He's a beauty isn't he?"

The boys started to talk about Aetos and the plan for formations and things for the journey to Olympus, but I really wanted to talk to Sky. I motioned for her to walk with me, she followed and we stopped a little way from the boys and Chiron.

"Hey, what's up?" Sky asked casually.

"I just wanted to tell you before we left, about what I said …"

"Annabeth," she smiled. "Don't worry about it; I understand you didn't mean it the way it sounded. Leo told me you've got some bad blood with Hera."

I was relieved she wasn't the prying type. "Thanks, you know for a fourteen year old you're taking this very calmly. Especially since …. you know."

"I might die in the next few days?" she said conversationally.

"Well, yeah," it was a bit weird how together she seemed about it all. I wondered if she was actually terrified inside but doing a really good job at hiding it. As if reading my mind she just smiled again.

"I'm not scared; I've always thought everything happens for a reason. So, if I die I die and that's for a valid reason that the universe needs to keep ticking."

"But aren't you worried? Won't it hurt if your dad lets it happen? You've done nothing wrong!"

She thought about that for a moment. "Gandhi once said, 'everything you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it'. This is one insignificant thing I have to do, as for whether I'm worried … I am a little but just about Leo. He's lost a lot of people and I don't know how he'll … if you consider how we met, this might push him too far."

"How did you meet?"

"Let's just say it wasn't under conventional circumstances."

"Hey you two are you coming or what?" Percy yelled from Blackjacks back.

Sky and I rushed to our modes of transport and mounted them, well after Leo and Sky played rock, paper scissors for who got to drive. Sky won. Chiron bid us farewell and we all began to rise. I wrapped my arms around Percy's waist and hid my face from the wind in his jacket.

Sky was starting to make me a little nervous, how she phrased things and the way she always seemed so collected and easy going but I couldn't put my finger on why this made me uneasy; surely those were good features in a quest leader. The thing was, she reminded me of someone. At first I thought it was Jason, or Octavian, an aura of quiet power, a certain way with words and a sadness (maybe that didn't apply to Octavian) that showed only a little on the surface but went deeper than anyone could imagine. I pictured her face, her fair hair, perfect smile and the mischievous glint in her blue eyes. I couldn't breathe for a moment. Percy felt me tense.

"You okay?" he turned his head to look at me, we were flying behind Tempest and Aetos, Long Island getting smaller and smaller the wind was light and blowing from the west into our faces but, even if it wasn't loud they wouldn't hear me if I shared my fear with Percy. I still hesitated.

Percy knew me all too well. "Hey, it's me what's wrong?"

"That's who she reminds me of." I said hollowly. "Sky,"

"What do you mean?"

"Luke, Percy, she reminds me of Luke. She speaks the same way he used to when we were on the run, even when she was telling me about her time in England she didn't even mention her family, she barely said the word _mom _once. Just like Luke. She acts the same way he did before his quest. He was the same age as she is now, Percy you don't think -?"

Percy shook his head defiantly. "No, she's not. She wouldn't." he turned back to the skyline of New York that was slowly growing. I should have known he wouldn't be able to be objective when it came to Luke. Percy hadn't known him as well as I had and Luke was still a sore subject with him. I didn't know whether it was because I used to think I loved him or if it was because being a traitor was such a disgusting thing to Percy or if it was because of the hundred and odd times he'd personally tried to kill Percy perhaps it was one or all three but Percy was still easily upset when it came to Luke.

We flew in silence for a while until Jason started to drop back.

"Sky was wondering if you were hungry. You know, because you missed dinner!" he shouted to us.

"Starving!" Percy shouted back. What a surprise, when was Percy not hungry?

Jason nodded as if he was thinking the same thing. "Sky knows a place we're landing on that patch of grass!"

We followed Jason's directions and we met up on the ground. We didn't attract too much attention just a few people looking then shaking their heads but apart from them it was almost empty. Aetos, Blackjack and Tempest were told to meet back here in an hour or so or wait to be called. They went off in different directions and we made our way towards some food.

"Won't they recognise you?" Percy asked Sky as we started walking down the road that bordered our grassy plain. "I mean I bet you've been at least reported missing."

Sky shrugged. "He'll recognise me but he won't turn me in."

"Who's he?" Jason asked.

"Just a friend,"

I decided to be the one who asked. "Where are we?"

"We just left King Park, this is 150th street."

"Where're we eating?" Percy said looking up at the apartment building towering over our left. "It doesn't look like there're many food places around here."

Sky grinned. "There are if you know where to look."


	10. Chapter 10 - Annabeth

ANNABETH

**Sky led us a bit further down the road and stopped in front of one of the **taller grey buildings. At first I thought she'd take us to the upper storeys but instead she started to descend some steps to one of those small businesses that are usually bars or news agents. This one was neither. The entire wall we were looking at had two large ceiling to floor windows on either side of a swinging glass door that had an open sign hanging from it. A large plastic lime green sign with a word in white cursive that made it impossible for me to read was attached to the wall above the whole establishment. I looked at Percy but he was squinting at the sign too.

"What's _olst?_" Leo looked at Sky questioningly.

"Lost," she corrected.

"I thought you were dyslexic." Percy said.

"I can't read it but I just know what it says," she shrugged. "Something I should tell you …"

That sentence made me a little worried. "What?"

"I think there might be a demigod living here too," she was giving me a weird look but I didn't understand it.

"How can you know?" Leo asked.

Sky shrugged. "Well, last night I had a dream about him. it was just an old memory – we were walking to school together but it was the conversation some stuff he said about his mom and well, … he sounded like the demigods at camp and he's dyslexic too …" Ironically she didn't seem embarrassed about having a dream about a boy.

It did sound like a half-blood. "Well, point him out and I'll check it out."

Sky gave a little smile like you would when enjoying an inside joke. "Okay, I don't think I'll need to point him out though. He's drawn to blonde girls – I think you'll get along. Shall we?" she spoke like Percy wasn't even there and opened the door to let us in.

I quickly followed Jason with my head down but I had no trouble hearing Leo mutter to Percy "What was that about?"

Once we were all inside, Sky shut the door behind her and flipped the sign so it displayed closed. It wasn't a shop, if I had to guess I'd say it was a real estate agents, it had light brown hard wood floors and a pair of armless olive green chairs against the wall right wall like a waiting room. A potted plant with polished leaves stood in the corner next to a low table covered in magazines. There was a boy of about sixteen or so sitting behind a wooden counter with green panels on its front near the back of the room. The boy had a knitted blue hat resting on shiny, curls that fell to just above his shoulders. He was reading a magazine with his colourful sneakers propped onto the work surface, he didn't even look up when we entered.

Sky stepped forward and said confidently. "Hello, we're looking for Logan,"

The boy peeked up from his magazine and scanned our group. "I think you got the wrong place missy," he sounded amused.

Sky got closer and looked at the boy more carefully. "Moose? Is that you?"

He looked up suspiciously. "Have we met?"

"It's me! Sky!"

My hand shot straight to my dagger in alarm because he leaped over the desk with both hands and put them on either side of her face. "Oh my god Sky, you grew your hair out!"

"So did you! How've you been?" Moose stepped back and twirled sky around before giving her a fist bump.

"I've been good; you know same old, same old. Good job growing up by the way, you were what eleven when you lived here?"

"Yeah, eleven sounds about right, it was just after I met Leo." Sky turned around and seemed to remember we were all here. "Oh right, Moose, this is my friend Leo, my long lost brother Jason, newly found cousin Percy and his girlfriend Annabeth – she's my friend too."

Moose greeted us all with hand shake and paused at Jason. "Long lost brother? You found your mom then?"

Sky shook her head. "Nah, tracked down my dad. Can we see Logan then?"

"Yeah sure, Logan's at work I think but Michael's around. You remember the way." Moose went back to sit behind the desk and Sky led us through the door behind him into a back room.

There were a few steps beyond the door into a little dark room that was completely empty except from a wooden hatch in the ground. The locks looked rusty and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. The only indication this room had been used in the last century was the small path carved into the dust that carpeted the ground. Sky kneeled next to the door and gestured for quiet. It took a few seconds for me to hear it. Muffled music was sounding from below us, it sounded like rock, before I could ask what we were doing Sky knocked onto the door: three sharp taps, pause, a single knock another short tap another knock, then a pause, one more knock, a tap and two more knocks. Like a secret knock.

"Morse code for Sky." Leo whispered. Sky nodded. Silence fell under their feet. A male voice called out, it sounded so close to the wooden trap door it made me jump.

"Sky?" it called.

"Michael?" Sky answered back.

"No way!" Michael gasped. The doors flew open and a set of arms pulled Sky through the opening. Percy looked at me.

"Do we go in?"

"Come on guys!" Sky's voice echoed up.

I shrugged and went first. After another flight of stairs we were in what looked like a huge underground rec room. it was filled with beanbags, three or four plasma screen TVs, a number of table top games like air hockey, snooker, foosball and ping pong, a set of mismatching living room chairs and couches gathered around a coffee table where a card game was being played and a small makeshift stage holding a drum kit, electric guitar and microphone stand. The five white washed doors that led off from the room were closed and roughly eleven boys and four girls were crowding around Sky and calling out greetings. The oldest was a boy who was really more of a man of about nineteen and the youngest looked around nine. The older boy who must have been the leader was tall and lanky with dark auburn hair and a checked shirt. He was standing behind Sky with his hands on her shoulders; he was smiling and telling the other kids to hype down in an orderly way.

Once he got everyone back to their original activities he steered Sky back to us. "So, Sky these don't look like new recruits,"

"No, they're not. Sorry, we're just dropping in, but we were hungry so I was just wondering …" Sky gave him some first class puppy dog eyes.

"Ahhh, you were hoping to reap the benefits of being an ex-Lost Boy?" he smiled benignly.

"Actually I was just wondering if Star was cooking." Sky replied.

"Ex-Lost Boy?" Percy asked. "Like the vampires? Or like the kids from Peter Pan?"

The guy laughed. "Neither, it's just what our code name was in the beginning and it stuck. It used to be just boys but then girls started to pass the initiation too. Sky was actually one of the first. Oh, I'm being rude, I'm Michael." He shook hands with Leo, Percy and Jason and kissed my hand which I wasn't nessarcarily pleased about but didn't want to be rude.

"Michael …?" Percy asked edgily. Was he jealous? Surely not. I think he was still annoyed about what Sky had said. I was scanning the room for possible demigods but with the excitement of Sky's return travelling around them they all looked ADHD.

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to." Michael winked roguishly. "Come on Star's making tacos."


	11. Chapter 11 - Annabeth

ANNABETH

**In a weird way the Lost Boys reminded me of Camp Half-Blood,** they all lived in dorms that were connected to this room, the older ones had jobs and their founder, Michael's older brother Logan who joined us after he finished his shift with his wife Natalie. They lived in an apartment upstairs with some of the younger children, it was very sweet how pleased he was when he saw Sky he reminded me of my dad a little but a lot younger.

From how they spoke I would have thought they did a lot of stealing and ran a lot of scams to acquire all of the technology but a part from that they seemed like pretty good people. That was until I heard about their rehabilitation programme. What that was is when a kid got kicked out around the Queens area the Lost Boys would get in touch and give them a test (not that the person knew it) to see if they were trustworthy. Then when they joined the Lost Boys they'd plan revenge on their parents for kicking them out. It was the new member's choice but they nearly always wanted to do it. The revenge was never lethal just like breaking into the parents' house and pouring washing up liquid in the toilet bowl; or clogging pipes up with vegetables; or soaking their bed sheets in itching powder. You know stuff like that. That wasn't what bothered me, I could have named a hundred things I wanted to do to my father and step mother after I ran away, not all of them as harmless as washing up liquid, vegetables or itching powder. But after all of that they also stole money from their parents. They, however, didn't call it stealing, they called it: 'collecting maintenance for the kids they abandoned'. I don't know why I disagreed with it so much but I just didn't like it.

I found the demigod. I was very surprised as well, I had to add 'kill Sky' to my To-Do list for it as well. The boy came up to me all most minutes after Logan turned up. He was called Binky; he had messy-ish, long-ish, blonde hair with little curls on the ends that made it look far messier. He wore a green t-shirt that said 'you're having a giraffe' on it which made me laugh. Like, me he had big grey eyes and a couple of freckles and a little button nose. I had no problem in thinking he was 100% _adorable,_ I had no problem thinking this because he was nine. I was almost positive he was a half-blood and I was pretty sure he was an Athenian.

The little one had squeezed himself in between me and Percy (who seemed fine now he knew who we were dealing with) at the dinner table so he could show me how to do the Rubik Cube in five minutes.

He twisted the last piece and held it up. "There!" Percy checked his watch.

"With time to spare, I got to say that's pretty cool little man." He tousled Binky's hair incredulously. Binky blushed and placed his game on the table, pushing his dinner plate away. There was only a little food left and most of it was the salad.

"What's wrong with your cucumber?" I asked good-naturedly.

"I don't like cucumber." He explained.

"Okay, then. So, Binky," I laughed. "What's your real name?"

He played with a Kermit the frog doll he'd kept in his pocket. "Albert. My dad said my mom chose it but he didn't like it so he nicknamed me Binky because he likes Terry Pratchett."

"Your dad? What's he like?" I didn't want to ask about his mom in case I was right.

"He's an inventor, which is cool because I got new toys and things but he wasn't at home very much and I don't think he wanted kids. I wished my mom had taken me with her when she left."

"So you ran away?" I asked.

Binky nodded. "When I was six I was playing in the park near my house and I wanted to know how I could run away because my babysitter was always watching me so I asked one of the kids in the park and it was Sky. She was new to the Lost Boys but she brought me back and they let me join." He smiled at the memory. He was almost the same age as me, my heart reached out to him. I couldn't help but think Athena could choose men who wanted children to begin with though. It was bound to happen again. I decided to look on the bright side.

"And you like it here?"

"Yeah, it's nice but …" he looked around to see everyone was still having their own conversations and not paying us any mind. He dropped his voice though. "I don't think I really belong here. I don't want to move from the apartment next week. They get a lot of spiders down here." He shuddered.

I whispered back to him. "I'll tell you a secret Binky, I don't like spiders either."

"What do you do then? I- I don't know what to do when I see one. I try to be quiet so they leave me alone but – but they find me anyway. It's like they can smell me." His voice shook again. He reached out and I put my arms around him as he crawled onto my knee. He was so small he was hidden by the table – it was pretty high though. Percy, who'd been listening, mouthed one word to me _Camp_. I nodded.

I had to take a deep breath. "It's okay, you know. I met a spider once."

"A big one?"

"A very big one, the biggest. She was the mommy spider."

"Were you scared?"

"Terrified. But I had to look her in the eye."

"Why?"

"I was on a special mission. The spider had stolen something and my mother wanted me to get it back."

Binky peeked up at me. "Why didn't you just say no?"

"Because, that would be the easy way. I had to do the right thing."

Binky looked confused; somehow the expression didn't suit him. "What happened?"

"I beat her and rescued my mother's statue." I said simply.

Binky giggled. "All that over a statue?"

I joined in. "It was a very important statue."

"And you're not scared anymore?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm still scared. But a little tip. If you see another one – a good hit over the head with a shoe doesn't do them much good."

I placed him back on his chair and cheered along with the others when Star announced dessert.

After that it was a good end of the day, no monster attacks, no fights and we were just deciding our plans when the conversation turned to Sky.

"So," Moose started. "You said you tracked down your dad what's he like?"

Sky laughed. "Well, I haven't actually met him yet I just know where he is. That's where we're headed. He and some of his family, his brothers and cousins, founded a summer camp. That's where I'm staying. He's Greek actually."

"Greek?" a little boy with spiky hair squeaked from Sky's right.

"Yes, Monty, Greek." She laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Like the stories you used to tell me?" Monty piped.

Jason, Percy, Leo and I snickered. Sky tried to keep a straight face but failed. "_Very much_ like the stories like I used to tell you Monty,"

"Summer camp you say, any room for some of your old friends there?" one of the boys, I thought his name was Ian, with his dark hair and pale skin he reminded me of Nico.

"Sorry, Ian, you need to be a special kind of messed up to attend." Sky joked.

One of the few girls spoke up. "Where about is it?" this one was called Melanie, she was eleven with brown hair and sun kissed skin. She was very pretty but a bit of a flirt from what I'd seen. Especially for someone so young.

"Oh, Mel, if she told you that she'd have to kill you." Logan teased from the head of the table. "Well, that's what I've heard. You're on the run right Sky? Blew up your foster mom's house?"

"Actually, that was some friends of ours," I said.

"Yeah, another long lost sister," Sky said sardonically.

"Your dad gets about a bit huh Sky?" one of the older guys who called himself Cable joked.

"You could say that." Sky replied dryly.

"Ah, Sky, it'll be getting dark soon," Jason hinted.

She nodded in agreement. We did need to get going. "Oh right, can I just look around see if everything's the same as I remember?"

"Yeah, sure," Michael got up and started to help Star clear away. "There's a box of your stuff on your old bed by the way, we haven't had many new recruits."

We thanked Star for the delicious meal. She was a surprisingly good cook for fifteen, and she was just giving us some extra snacks for our journey when Sky walked out of the door nearest to the homemade stage. She pretended to help me check my bag.

"Did you talk to him?" she whispered as she refolded my cap.

"Yeah, definitely a half-blood we'll contact Coach Hedge on the way to Olympus, he can just tell Logan the deal."

"That's good, Logan's awesome he'll understand. I'm going to go give him a heads up though,"

"In private." I agreed, we rose and Sky slipped off as I organized the boys.


	12. Chapter 12 - Sky

SKY

Once we were back in the air I felt a little less exposed. Not that I felt unsafe with the Lost Boys but ever since I'd been told about Camp Half-Blood and monsters and demigods and gods most of which wanted me dead well, the outside world seemed a lot more ominous. It must have been because the sky was my father's home territory, or because Leo made me feel safe. I'd let him fly because I was tired already.

Annabeth had found Binky and she agreed with me about him being a demigod, I'm not sure why that meant so much to me, that she did agree with me, maybe it was because she was a genius or because Binky was so sweet he deserved a real home. I hope he liked Cabin Six, it made me sad it wasn't likely I would see him in his new home. I didn't tell Logan everything, just that Binky was special which he definitely agreed with and that the camp I attended would be interested. Logan seemed a bit disappointed Binky might not carry on living with the Lost Boys but he said he would keep him safe in the apartment and wait until a representative came to speak to them.

I leant my head against Leo's back and closed my eyes. Ever since I found out who my dad was a few things had occured to me. The most prominent one probably should have been the monsterous attention and quests and stuff but really I was thinking about my name. _Sky, _my dad was god of the sky. There I'd been thinking my mother didn't have a sense of humor. Neverless it explained a few things about my past - knowing who my father is not that my mother had a sense of humor - like the reason Alec died and why I blew things up. Funnily enough answers didn't help as much as I thought they would. I'd just began to drift off when Leo tensed.

"We're going the wrong way, the empire state building's that way." he muttered.

I looked around, he was right we were veering too far to the left. Aetos had assured me he knew where he was going. It was then I noticed the difference in the wind. It had picked up emensely and changed direction, Jason hadn't noticed we were no longer with him though, his _venti _horse, Tempest, just carried on ahead as if the wind wasn't there. Aetos had fallen back a lot but managed to stop and hold his ground (or was it flight?) midair.

_Miss Sky, I cannot move forward, should I land? _He spoke to me in my mind.

"Yeah, I'll try and signal to Percy and Annabeth-" but the moment I let go of Leo to motion to Blackjack a giant gust caught me and I fell from Aetos' back. Leo didn't turn around until it was too late. Cold air whistled in my ears.

As much as I could while falling from such a great height, I was cursing myself for not asking Jason how to fly as a child of Zeus. I had meant to on my first morning of camp but sword fighting had preoccupied me, then there was the life-altering prophecy so for now I was falling to my death ... or so I thought. After mustering up the courage to open my eyes, I flailed in the dark emptiness around me. Instead of falling toward the New York streets, the skyline was getting smaller, I was flying backwards as were Percy, Annabeth and Blackjack. Leo and Aetos seemed to be carried on the same wind too but nowhere near as fast as us, soon they were only a golden speck on the city backdrop. Finally, when I decided to not fight it and just see where I was being taken, I began to lose altitude.

They say in a fatal situation your life and everything you love flashes before your eyes. That's not true because all I could see at first was flashing lights and red spots. Then, I only saw everything I regretted, and everything I'd done wrong. I saw the Pacific again, I saw my mother calling for my Mortal dad to come back, I saw Leo as he waved goodbye when I left for the Coopers' and then I saw the Coopers' house explode. These were broken up by smaller visions of myself being bullied and snaps of Chris as he attacked me.

When my head cleared time didn't slow down like it does when people fall in movies. Part of my brain focussed on a single light on the ground (which was difficult because there were so many), I could almost imagine I was looking down on a starry night sky. Realising this might actually be the way I died I was completely dumbfounded when my view of the traffic-light stars was intercepted by a blur of blonde and darkness.

Annabeth grabbed me with a surprisingly strong grip and pulled me onto Blackjack behind her.

"Are you okay?!" she half shouted over the wind.

I don't know what made me do it but somehow I found myself replying. "Never been better!"

"Where's Leo?!" Percy shouted from the front he was frantically searching the ground. "Did he fall too?"

"No when I last saw him he was still flying Aetos! Where are they!?"

"I don't think they got carried away with us!" Annabeth was looking behind us but it seemed useless the night was pitch black despite the fact the city lights should cause some visibility. I looked down and the web of lights had been replaced with endless black. The atmospere was warmer too, and drier. The desert? Surely we couldn't have travelled that far. The wind wasn't loud anymore just strong and still pulling us west.

"Where was your brother while you were plumeting to your death?" Percy asked scathingly. I flinched, that question was scarily close to the ones I'd been asked on the night Alec died.

I gritted my teeth but at the same time I growled "He didn't know." Annabeth yelped in pain. At first I thought I'd electrocuted her because I was still holding onto her, when I pulled my hand away she had four red cuts on her forearm where my nails had dug into her. "Sorry." I apologized but it didn't sound sincere with how angry my voice sounded but I didn't really care. I had to defend Jason. "Tempest wasn't effected, he didn't feel the wind change."

"Of course, Tempest is a free wind spirit the wind wouldn't touch him." Annabeth explained.

"He could have looked back once." Percy muttered darkly.

"Oh, I apologize if saving my life is such a big inconvenience to you." I retorted.

Percy turned to look at me. "Yeah, well lets hope not because it's becoming a bit of a habit of mine,"

"If you remember, Percy, I didn't _ask _you to come. If you don't like it, jump into a passsing sea then daddy can look after you, drown and destroy a few families in the process!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I bit my lip, I shouldn't have said that.

Annabeth intercepted before I had to think of an answer. "Okay you two stop it!"

"Well then tell him to lay off my brother!"

"You only met him yesterday! And what about my dad?"

"I said stop it!" Percy and I fell silent with just one look from Annabeth. "Thank you, now by the looks of it this is the next part of the prophecy coming true,"

"_Taken off course by the bitter king,_" Percy recalled, although he looked like he'd like to say something else.

"Precisely, and considering we're probably the three that have to travel to Olympus and clear Sky's name you should probably try to avoid killing eachother."

"He might as well, Hera's only going to do it in a fortnight anyway." Niether of the replied as I looked out into the distance. I could feel their pity stinging me like acid, only just realising how pathetic I was.

Roughly ten minutes of silence later, Blackjack whinnied in alarm. A strange glow was looming in the distance. As we drew nearer, it seemed to condense to form the shape of a building.

"Blackjack says he can fly now, where do we fly to?" Percy and Annabeth both turned and it took me a second to realise they were waiting for my descision. Wow. Two seventeen year olds answering to me. Wierd.

"I suppose we go to see their leader."


End file.
